


Ellie Nihil and the Rise of Darkness

by xanihil



Series: Ellie Nihil [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Good Severus Snape, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Major Original Character(s), Slytherin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-08 06:41:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 91,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19865179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xanihil/pseuds/xanihil
Summary: Ellie Nihil and the Rise of Darkness follows the events of Part 2: Ellie Nihil and the Seven Wands (After a 3 year time skip)Ellie is starting her 6th year at Hogwarts. After being adopted by Professor Snape, her life has fallen into a comfortable pattern, full of friendship, stability, and intellectual pursuits of new magics. But as the mark on her father's arm grows darker, so do her days. Under Snape's protection, she might rise to the challenges - or fall into the darkness.





	1. Mind

The back of Ollivander's shop was hot and stuffy in the summer, but it was still Ellie's favorite place to be. On his son's recommendation, Garrick Ollivander had hired Ellie to help mind the shop for the summer. It was their busiest season, and Ellie did her best to keep the shelves organized, but Ollivander didn't like her to be underfoot while he was working, so by the time he was done with the sales at the end of the day, the counter was always littered with wands and empty boxes that needed to be re-sorted and shelved.

But whenever Ollivander was in the front of the shop, Ellie was allowed to be in the back. Mostly, she swept sawdust, stirred potions, and polished finished wands, but if she completed those duties quickly, she was free to use the materials at hand for her own work.

She'd learned a lot about wandlore and wand-working over the last three years. Lionel Ollivander, Garrick Ollivander's son, came to Hogwarts once a week to give Ellie private lessons on the topic. It wasn't as good as a real apprenticeship, which required years of dedicated and exclusive study, but it was useful nonetheless. Lionel had done his real apprenticeship under his father, but had really found his calling in other forms of woodworking. His father was convinced that he would give up his furniture-making and return to wandworking once Garrick was too old to continue, but Ellie wasn't so sure. While Lionel was able to teach her nearly everything she wanted to know about wandlore, his actual wands rather paled in comparison to that of his father.

Lionel really believed in Ellie, though. It took several years, but eventually he wore his father down with his arguments and convinced him to let Ellie learn directly from the master, or at least sit silently in the workshop so she could absorb some of his knowledge. Lionel felt that he had nothing left to teach Ellie, so their classes would be coming to an end. This summer was her last chance to learn everything she could about wands. It was probably for the best, though. She had other plans for her advanced studies at Hogwarts, and she wouldn't have time for this particular interest.

"Still here, Nihil?" asked Garrick Ollivander, coming into the back, "I thought you were leaving early today."

Ellie was momentarily confused. Why did she need to leave early again? Then she remembered, and jumped off the stool so quickly that she knocked it over. "What time is it?" she asked urgently.

"After three," he replied.

"But then the letter's already there!" said Ellie, "Thanks for reminding me. I've got to run!"

"You're coming in tomorrow no matter what the results are," said Ollivander.

"Yes, sir!" shouted Ellie, already halfway out the door.

She arrived out of breath at Snape's house a few minutes later to find the professor sitting calmly in his armchair, reading.

"Welcome home," he said, "how was work?"

Ignoring the question, Ellie asked, "Have you opened it yet?"

In response, Snape pointed at the envelope in the table, wax seal in tact. "Catch your breath first," said the Professor, "opening it quickly won't change the results."

Ellie immediately tore open the envelope and started to read. She was so nervous, though, that the words weren't making sense. Heeding Snape's advice, she sat down on the couch, took a few deep breaths, and tried reading it again.

Ancient Runes - E

Astronomy - A

Care of Magical Creatures - O

Charms - E

Defence Against the Dark Arts - O

Herbology - O

History of Magic - O

Potions - O

Transfiguration - A

Ellie breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, I'll never be a healer with that transfiguration grade, but at least I passed everything!"

Ellie passed the paper to Snape and let him look it over. "This is very good," he said, "You have some options for which NEWT classes you want to take. Five is typical, but you can do more. Have you thought about which ones you're dropping?"

"Well I'll keep Potions and Herbology of course. But I can't continue with Astronomy or Transfiguration with only an acceptable, so that choice is made for me. And unless Professor Kettleburn comes back, I think I'll be dropping Care of Magical Creatures too."

"Ancient Runes?" he asked.

"No, I don't think that's worth continuing. But Professor Dumbledore approved my request for a Magical Theory independent study, and Professor Babbling said she would be my advisor."

"You just aren't interested in the standard classes, are you?" said Snape, "First wands, now theory…"

"I was interested in theory first, if you recall." said Ellie, "Besides, I'm not interested in what everyone already knows. I want to know NEW things."

"You're only fifteen, Ellie. You have time." said Snape, "You should focus on the fundamentals first."

"Nearly sixteen," said Ellie, "and I'm dropping charms too."

"Charms class is essential, Ellie." said Snape, "You shouldn't drop it so lightly. I know that wand magic hasn't always been easy for you, but you can't give up on it."

"I'd rather take History, though." said Ellie. "History, Herbology, Potions, and Magical Theory."

"That's only four classes!" said Snape, "And one of them isn't even a standard NEWT class. You did so well on your OWLs, I'd hate for you to throw that away by just dropping all your classes as soon as you're allowed."

"But I don't  _ want _ to take all these classes," said Ellie, "why can't I just study what I want?"

"Save that for after you graduate Hogwarts," said Snape.

"How many NEWTs did  _ you _ do?" asked Ellie.

"Eight."

"Eight?" said Ellie, "No one has eight NEWTs!"

Snape listed, "Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Defence against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy, and Arithmancy. Eight."

Ellie frowned and said, "Well I'm not interested in eight subjects. I'm interested in four."

"Do what you want with charms, but I absolutely forbid you from dropping Defence against the Dark Arts," said Snape. "Nothing is more important right now."

"You can't make me!" said Ellie, fully aware that she was too old for such a juvenile argument. As soon as she said it, she knew that she had lost.

"I am your father and your head of house," said Snape, "and you will do as I say."

Acknowledging defeat, Ellie took her OWL results and went upstairs. As promised, she immediately wrote a letter to both of her best friends, sharing her grades and which classes she hoped to take. If Yuki and Phineas were both taking charms, she'd consider it.

At dinner that night, Ellie tried to get Snape to divulge who would be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts that year, but if he knew, he was being very tight lipped.

"No matter who's teaching it, you still have to take it." said Snape.

"You weren't so keen on it last year," said Ellie.

"My quarrels with Lupin are none of your concern," said Snape, "but things have changed. You understand that the class is not purely theoretical, don't you?"

"You've been saying that for years," said Ellie, "but none of your supposed dangers have ever manifested themselves. Unless you count Draco being a prat sometimes, which I don't."

"The Dark Lord was inside Hogwarts just a few years ago, Ellie. Did the message not sink in then?"

"That was Harry's problem though. He's always getting into trouble. If I just keep avoiding him like I have been, I'll be fine. I can't believe you thought I was a troublemaker. I didn't run off to fight a troll my first year, did I?"

"I'll admit, you have done a good job of keeping your head down the last few years. Potter's arrogance and disregard for the rules has caused far more damage than your curiosity ever did. But trouble can find you, even if you don't seek it out. As I recall, there were quite a few incidents in your fourth year."

"Alright, so it wasn't easy being a muggle-raised Slytherin that year, but I kept winning the fights, so no harm done. If they actually taught duelling in Defence Against the Dark Arts, I'd be more interested in the class. And I wouldn't have been petrified anyway, since I'm not actually a mudblood. So no danger, really."

"Your actual parentage is much more dangerous than being Muggle-born, as I keep explaining. Everything that Potter has faced would be your fate too if people knew that Lily was your mother."

"I know!" said Ellie exasperatedly, "Which is why I've kept it a secret all this time. I haven't even talked to Harry. What more do you want from me?"

"I want you to be prepared to defend yourself when the Dark Lord returns," said Snape.

"I don't think he's coming back," said Ellie, "If it's been this long, I think he's finished."

Snape lapsed into silence. The Dark Lord was returning soon, and all of the former Death Eaters knew. The mark on his arm was visible now, for the first time since the Dark Lord's fall. And thanks to him, Dumbledore knew as well. Even as Ellie and her friends were thinking about NEWTs and classes, Dumbledore was preparing for the return of the most powerful Dark Wizard of all time. On top of that, preparations for the Triwizard Tournament were underway. The timing couldn't be worse, and there would be no rest for Snape this year.

With the Dark Lord growing stronger, he would be looking for ways to get to Harry Potter. Snape's greatest fear was that Ellie would become the tool to capture him. Snape had not revealed Ellie's true parentage to anyone, even Dumbledore. Snape trusted Dumbledore to do the right thing, for the greater good, but Snape would never allow Ellie to become a sacrifice to his cause. A consequence of this, however, was that Ellie had none of the protections that Potter did. It was only Snape looking out for her.

If the Dark Lord got to her, he could use Ellie as a lure for the one he really wanted. With Potter's incurable hero complex, he would surely jump at the chance to rescue a long-lost half sister, even if he knew Snape was the father. But Dumbledore would try to prevent such heroics. Between the two, Snape felt sure that Dumbledore would be willing to sacrifice Ellie to protect Harry. There were no prophecies about her. And Harry would obey Dumbledore, no matter what.

He couldn't allow Ellie to become a pawn in their games. Her relationship to the chosen one would erase everything else about her. She would just be a tool for Dumbledore or Voldemort to use and dispose of. He wouldn't let that happen.

"I need to show you something," said Snape, "There is no more time to waste."

He rolled up his sleeve and held his forearm out for Ellie to see. It was faint, but Ellie was able to make it out. 

"What is that?" asked Ellie, "I've never noticed it before."

"It's the Dark Lord's mark," said Snape, "All of his closest supporters had this branded onto us. You could not see it before, because his powers were waning. But it has been growing stronger. It means that he is gaining strength. He will be back. Soon."

"And it can't…" said Ellie, "I mean, it can't be wrong?"

Snape shook his head, "I wish I was wrong about this. I know you grow tired of my warnings, but it is only because I know what is coming. I have been through this before, and I want to protect you from it."

Ellie grew very quiet, and Snape covered his arm again. "Alright," said Ellie, "I'll take Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Good," said Snape, "That will prepare you to stand up to his followers. But as a… person of interest… you need to be able to protect yourself from you-know-who himself. I hope that you will never meet him, but if you do… I think that it is time I taught you Occlumency."

"What's that?" asked Ellie.

"It is what has enabled me to be such a good double agent. Have you heard of legilimency?"

"Er… not really. Does it have something to do with reading?"

Snape replied, "Somewhat. The naive and unlearned might say that legilimency is mind-reading, but it is much more complicated than that. The Dark Lord, however, is neither naive nor unlearned. He is a master of legilimency. He is adept at extracting thoughts and memories from foes and allies alike. Even when not actively attempting to break your mind, he is using this power to know if you are lying. Occlumency is the art of defending yourself against these mental attacks."

"Why haven't I heard of this before?" asked Ellie, "What's the point of keeping all these secrets if the Dark Lord can just read my mind whenever he pleases?"

"It is not that simple. Many factors, including time, distance, focus, and intention, have huge impacts on the effectiveness of legilimency. And even the unprotected mind is not an open book to be perused at will," explained Snape, "And as for not encountering this before, this is far from common magic. I know of only three Legilimens and Occlumens that have enough skill for it to even be worth discussing. The Dark Lord, Albus Dumbledore, and myself."

"So you're a… a legilimens too?" asked Ellie, "Is that how you always know when students are lying?"

"No," said Snape, "most students are simply not as clever as they think they are when it comes to making up lies. In general, I do not use my powers of legilimency, only occlumency."

"Oh," said Ellie, a little disappointed, "Can you teach me both?"

"No," said Snape, "You only need to know how to defend your mind. I won't bother trying to explain the twisted morality of legilimens, since you are always eager to defend the dark arts, but I will not be teaching it to you."

Ellie shrugged, knowing Snape was right, but privately decided that she could probably teach herself if she really wanted to. Nothing made her more excited about learning than being told that a topic was off-limits.

"Now, I should warn you," said Snape, "Occlumency is incredibly difficult to master. It requires emotional control and a discipline of mind that you currently lack."

"I can control my mind!" said Ellie defiantly, "and my emotions."

"You are having an emotional reaction right now," said Snape, "can you suppress it? Can you push it completely from your heart and repeat your words such that even with the power of legilimency I cannot tell that you are lying? Someday soon your life may depend on it."

Ellie took a moment to gather her thoughts. She'd gotten too comfortable lately. Her trust in Snape allowed her to wear her heart on her sleeve. But she remembered what it was like before she met him. Bouncing between foster homes and Miss Trumble's Home for Girls she had faced her fair share of difficult situations. Back then, she'd learned to manage her emotions in the face of her bullies. She gave no response, and eventually they left her alone. She'd prided herself on this ability. Her emotions were more dangerous than she knew. When she couldn't control the anger, the magic burst out of her, violently. Before she knew she was a witch, she'd hurt people. She had seriously injured bad foster parents and elementary school bullies alike. And once, her outbursts had even resulted in death. When she lost control of her mind she killed two little girls, as fragile and friendless as she had been.

But she didn't want to think about that right now. It was enough to know that she had the control within her, even if she was out of practice. She took a deep breath, suppressing the feeling of insult that had been her knee-jerk reaction to Snape's words. She arranged her face in a calm expression and repeated, "I can control my mind and my emotions."

Snape appraised her and said, "Hmm, maybe you can after all."

"Can I start learning now?" asked Ellie, "Or do I need to wait for the term to start?"

"If you help me wash the dishes, we can start right now," said Snape.

What Ellie learned over the next few weeks didn't feel much like magic. Snape just kept having her do exercises to control her thoughts and emotions. Mostly, he had her practice lying. It was sort of fun to have permission to lie about little things all the time, but Snape was very good at catching her in it. He wouldn't say whether he was using legilimency or not, though.

"If you meet the Dark Lord, he will not announce his intentions first," said Snape, "You may not even be able to feel when he is using his powers. But you should always be on your guard if he is looking at you. Eye contact is essential for legilimens."

"Then why don't I just refuse to meet his eyes?" suggested Ellie.

"It will not work," said Snape, "If you defy him openly, he has other methods of getting information. The imperius curse. Torture."

Ellie gulped and focused harder on controlling her emotional reaction. The fear she felt at that statement was her weakness. After a moment, she felt like she was in control again and said, "I want you to try it for real. I can't even tell if I'm doing it right."

Snape scowled but said, "Alright. I suppose I have to let you try eventually. But you'll have to do it without your wand until we're back at Hogwarts."

"What? Is there a way to use a wand to do occlumency? You didn't mention that."

"There is no particular spell. But certainly if it comes to the point where someone is openly making an attack on your mind, you should use any means you can to stop them. True occlumency, however, is done with the mind alone."

"Legilimency too?"

"No, that one has a spell.  _ Legilimens _ ." Snape pulled out his wand, pointed it at Ellie and said, "Now, prepare yourself."

Ellie wasn't quite sure how to prepare herself when she didn't have a wand, but she squared up to Snape anyway and tried to clear her mind.

He pointed his wand at her and said, " _ Legilimens! _ "

Ellie didn't know how she was actually supposed to prepare herself, but she was immediately sure that she had done it wrong. 

Unbidden, memories began to flash before her eyes. She was 8, and she'd been caught stealing food from her foster parents. She was 14, and she was finding a note in her bunk, written in blood, that read,  _ go home, mudblood _ . Then she was holding Phineas's hand at his Aunt's funeral, while they both cried.

Suddenly the torrent stopped, and she was back in the moment. She was a little embarrassed to find that she was crying, and hurriedly wiped her eyes. "Did I stop you?" she asked.

"No, I stopped on my own," said Snape, "I could feel you resisting me at first, but then you gave in. I don't think you're ready for this yet. You lack the necessary fortitude."

"I have fortitude." she said firmly, "let me try again. Now that I know what to expect I think I can do better."

Snape hesitated, but raised his wand again, obligingly. " _ Legilimens! _ "

Again, a memory swam before her eyes. She was standing in the apothecary on Knockturn Alley, and she could hear Snape's slow, measured, footsteps approaching the counter. He'd told her to stay away from Knockturn alley, and she was about to be caught. She was filled with fear and guilt. But this time when that thought began to blur into another memory, she stopped it. She forced herself to stay in that moment that had frightened her so many years ago. But she wasn't frightened anymore, or guilty. She was merely remembering those feelings, but she didn't need to feel that way anymore. 

She focused on her breathing and that sense of fearless guilt-free calm that belonged to the real present moment, and slowly the scene faded. She found herself back in Snape's home, facing the Professor, who had a look of intense concentration on his face. She could still feel the magic tugging at her mind, trying to take her back there, but she resisted it.

Snape ended his attack and lowered his wand. "That was very good, for a second attempt," he said, "But you still let me get too far. The Dark Lord could use that memory against you."

"I know," said Ellie, "let's go again! I think I'm getting the hang of it."

Wearily, Snape raised his wand again. "Once more," he said, "Then I need some rest. This is as tiring for me as it is for you.  _ Legilimens! _ "

This time Ellie was prepared. In the split second between when she first felt that mental pull and when the memories would begin, she put up a wall. She was not frightened, she was not sad, she was not guilty. She was just calm. Once she'd gained that levelness of emotion, it was almost easy to keep him out.

Just as she was thinking this, there was a sudden surge in the intensity of his mental probing, and her wall crumbled. More memories came floating up, too quickly to really grasp. She tried to find something to hold onto, but she was adrift in her own mind, completely out of control.

Then it stopped.

"Arrogance is a weakness, Ellie," said Snape, "I have not yet put my full power into this, and the Dark Lord is infinitely more powerful than I am. But that's enough for today. You have an instinct for the basics, which is more than I had hoped for. I think that with time and practice you will be able to learn this."

"Yes, Professor," said Ellie, with evident disappointment. She didn't want to end on a note of defeat. She wanted to keep practicing.

"You don't need to call me that at home," said Snape, "even if I am actively teaching."

"Yes, father," said Ellie, in the same tone.


	2. Mysteries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the school year begins...

At the welcome feast, the sixth year Slytherins were all discussing their schedules for the upcoming year. Unlike previous years when they'd mostly been together, they would be splitting up this year. Ellie would still have Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology with Yuki and Phineas, but their timetables diverged from there. Of all the Slytherins, only Ellie, Yuki, Theo, and Adrian had managed the necessary "outstanding" grade that Snape required for his NEWT students. Phineas's "Exceeds Expectations," just wasn't good enough. And Yuki and Phineas would both be continuing in Transfiguration without her. 

Then, while Ellie was pursuing her independent studies in Magical Theory, Yuki would be taking Advanced Arithmancy and Astronomy, and Phineas would be doing Muggle Studies. It had been shocking enough when a Slytherin signed up for Muggle Studies in the third year, but continuing to NEWT levels was unheard of.

"That's bound to be a pretty small class," said Ellie, "And you were the only Slytherin to begin with."

Phineas shrugged and said, "Yeah it's probably just going to be me and a few Hufflepuffs. I'm really looking forward to it though. Professor Burbage basically just lets me write whatever I want, as long as I can sort of tie it back to muggles. Have you heard of  _ science fiction _ ? It's brilliant."

"That doesn't sound much like a class," said Yuki, "It's just like having an editor for your stories… or maybe a fan."

"I think it's good that you have a mentor, Phin," said Ellie, "especially since your last mentor turned out to be a huge fraud."

Unashamed, Phineas replied, "Say what you want about Gilderoy Lockhart, he was a brilliant writer. He didn't become a best-selling author just by smiling at people, you know."

"Hey speaking of Lockhart," said Yuki, "Who's teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this year? I don't see anyone new at the head table."

Ellie turned her attention to the teachers and scanned the row. Like she'd said, no one new. "With what happened at the Quidditch World Cup, you'd think that they'd want to get someone really good."

Phineas gasped and said, "Do you think Dumbledore will teach it himself? It seems like the sort of thing he might do."

Ellie shook her head and said, "No, he's way too busy for that. In any case, I'm sure he'll announce it after the meal."

When the pudding was gone, the room grew quiet and Dumbledore launched into his usual announcements about banned items and out-of-bounds areas. His next announcement however, cause quite an uproar. "It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year. This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure that you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -"

Suddenly the doors of the great hall burst open with a deafening rumble of thunder, and a rough-looking man limped his way to the head table, where he shook Dumbledore's hand. He plopped down in a chair and began to eat, while staring out at the room with one bizarre swivelling eye that seemed to have a life of its own. Ellie glanced at her friends to confirm that they were thinking the same thing she was. This was either a dark wizard or a dark wizard catcher. Those were the only titles befitting a man who looked like that. And given the circumstances, this was likely their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Dumbledore confirmed this by saying, "May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher? Professor Moody. As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

Dumbledore went on to explain about the tournament and its history, but Ellie was already familiar with it. She'd read about it in various history books and always found it to be a bit dramatic and overdone, but now that she had the opportunity to see it for herself, she couldn't help but be excited. There was so much she could learn from foreign wizards! And this explained all of Snape's business and secret meetings over the summer.

Her stomach lurched a little bit. Those meetings couldn't have all been about the Triwizard Tournament. Some of them must have been about the mark on Snape's arm, growing darker day by day. She wondered if it was a coincidence. The Dark Mark showing up at a huge international gathering of wizards, and this international event being reinstated after so long. She resolved to ask Snape about it as soon as she could.

When Dumbledore dismissed them, Yuki immediately jumped up to show the first years to the dorms, so Ellie and Phineas made their way back to the common room on their own.

"What do you think about this age restriction then?" asked Phineas.

"It doesn't bother me," said Ellie, "I wouldn't put my name in even if I could. Snape would kill me for putting myself in danger like that."

Yuki and Phineas had known for years that Snape was Ellie's adoptive father. Other than Dumbledore, they knew more about Ellie's relationship with Snape than anyone else. They even knew that Snape and Ellie grew up in the same town, and that they'd met long before Ellie got her Hogwarts letter. What they didn't know was that Snape was her biological father too. Or that her mother was a teenage Lily Evans. And they definitely didn't know that The Boy Who Lived was her half brother. There are some secrets you can't tell even your best friends, if you want them to live.

Dragging her mind back to the topic at hand, Ellie continued, "You'll be old enough by then, though, won't you? Are you thinking about putting your name in?"

"I'm thinking about it," said Phineas, "but I don't think I'd win. I'm not exactly a top notch wizard."

"It's too bad Yuki's not old enough. She'd be great. Do you reckon anyone in our year is old enough and powerful enough?"

Phineas scratched his chin and said, "I dunno… Diggory maybe? Or Angelina Johnson."

"Ugh," said Ellie, "we can't have a Gryffindor champion!"

"Don't worry, Slytherin still stands a chance," said Phineas, "with the Quidditch cup cancelled, everyone on the team who's of age is bound to put their name in."

Ellie thought that the Triwizard Tournament would be the main topic of conversation in the first few weeks, but the sixth years were too busy with classes to worry about that. The advanced classes were far more demanding than Ellie had anticipated, but at least she was doing less than Yuki. With her seven subjects, she barely had time to talk anymore.

Professor Flitwick had them using nonverbal magic now, which Yuki took to quickly, but was causing Phineas a fair bit of trouble. Ellie was more shocked than anyone when she found that she had a knack for it as well. She attributed it to her studies of Magical Theory, which focused heavily on the origins of magical ability and the power of words over the flow of magic. She would lose her advantage once the rest of the class caught up to her nonverbal skills, but for now she was just relishing the sweetness of being top of her class in charms for once.

Despite the increased workload, she was flourishing in Herbology, Potions, and History of Magic as well. After dropping transfiguration, she felt lighter and freer than ever before, and capable of any challenge her teachers put before her. It was nice to not be embarrassed on a nearly daily basis by her inability to satisfactorily transform a hedgehog into a pincushion.

Her occlumency lessons with Snape were improving as well. By the end of September, she was able to block him out entirely, even when he put his full effort into it.

"Don't get too comfortable," cautioned Snape, "The Dark Lord will be far more powerful than I am, and will be employing other methods as well. Controlling your emotions will not be so easy if he is torturing you, or someone you care about."

"You always ruin my fun with things like that," said Ellie, "can't I just be excited about the magic itself? It's just an interesting and obscure branch of magic that I'm likely to never need."

"I wish that were true," said Snape, "but if you are up for the challenge, there is more obscure magic to learn."

"Ooh, what?" asked Ellie eagerly.

"As you know, a masterful Legilimens can use their ability almost unconsciously, and certainly nonverbally. The Dark Lord is always aware of the minds around him, to a greater or lesser extent. But if he encounters a mind that is closed to him, I assure you that he will notice. That mental wall you have constructed is not subtle."

"So he'll know I can use occlumency," said Ellie, "he'll know I'm hiding something."

"Exactly," said Snape, "The next skill for you to learn is disguising that wall. You have to make him think that he has access to your mind and your memories, so he will have no reason to dig deeper. I allow him to see some things. Some things that he thinks will give him power over me. And I use this to obscure other, more important secrets."

"That sounds difficult," said Ellie.

"Extremely," replied Snape. "Most wouldn't even attempt it. It is infinitely more difficult than what you have been doing thus far, and opens weaknesses in your mind that could be exploited, should the Legilimens become aware of your deceit. It is a risk, but perhaps less so than an outright attempt to defy the Dark Lord's control. It has worked for me, but it took several years to perfect the technique. Perhaps I am the first to do so."

"Do you think I'll be able to?"

"I do, or I would not have mentioned it," said Snape. "Do you recall the first time you utilized occlumency? I accessed a memory, but rather than shying away from it, you held me there and forced me to keep seeing what you wanted me to see."

"I remember," said Ellie, "but I don't remember how I did it."

"I will teach you," said Snape.

The real highlight of the first month turned out to be Defence Against the Dark Arts. Despite herself, it was quickly becoming her favorite subject. In some ways, it felt like a return to the style of Professor Kamat, Ellie's first Defence teacher. Professor Moody had really been there. He knew the darkness he was talking about first-hand. He approached every lesson with the gravity that Ellie felt the subject deserved.

She was glad that Snape had made her continue to the NEWT level. This class was everything she had always wanted it to be in her first year. All the topics that she had been desperate to study but were deemed too dangerous or controversial were suddenly fair game in Moody's class.

As sixth years, they were learning about curses that previously Ellie had only been able to find in obscure texts in the restricted section of the library. They weren't in the textbook either, but it was obvious that Moody had enough experience to teach them from memory.

"Now, we've covered the most popular curses from the days of you-know-who," said Moody, "who here knows when the unforgivable curses were first invented."

His back was to the class, but Ellie had already learned that didn't mean much with his magical eye, so she raised her hand anyway.

"Nihil!" he barked.

"The unforgivable curses were invented as duelling spells during the early middle ages in Britain," recited Ellie, "but they weren't labelled unforgivable until 1717."

She could feel the Weasley twins glaring at her from across the aisle. They had always been uncomfortable with the notion that morals weren't absolute.

"Exactly right," said Moody, "but making them illegal didn't make them less popular, did it? Just got them taken off the Hogwarts curriculum, didn't it? But you've got to know what you're up against! Dumbledore wants you to know what the imperius curse feels like, so you can fight it. Get up, clear a space."

The class hurried to obey, but looked at each other nervously. Teaching them about the curses was one thing, but actually performing an unforgivable curse on a student…

Moody called Fred Weasley forward first. He pointed his wand at the boy and said, " _ Imperio! _ "

Fred's nervous expression immediately vanished and he started to tap dance with a lazy grin on his face. The whole class burst into laughter. Once Moody lifted the curse, Fred joined in. One by one, Moody cast the spell on each of Ellie's classmates, and they were completely unable to resist whatever ridiculous stunt Moody commanded they do.

"It's all fun and games while you're doing a two-step," said Moody, "but you-know-who made murderers out of innocent people with this spell. You'll have to do better than this.  _ Resist it _ . You next, Nihil."

Ellie stepped forward and faced Moody. With both eyes fixed on her, Moody said, " _ Imperio! _ "

Some mental force came at her, and she instinctively put up a wall around her mind. It felt different than  _ legilimens _ , but she could definitely recognize it as an external force, so she was able to keep it at bay. Unlike the sharp needle of Snape's spell, this felt soft and inviting. She wanted to let it in. It would be so easy to just succumb…

She pushed that away. That was the Imperius talking. She remained aware of her surroundings, and maintained her eye contact with Professor Moody. With a final force of will, she pushed off his influence entirely.

Moody lowered his wand amid murmurs from the rest of the class. "Have you faced this curse before, Nihil?"

"No, sir," said Ellie.

"That sort of control doesn't come without practice," said Moody, "someone's been teaching you."

"I have a very disciplined mind," said Ellie evasively. Somehow she felt that Moody knew exactly who she'd learned that control from, and also felt certain that she shouldn't reveal it openly.

"But nothing happened!" said Phineas, "Did she resist?"

"Bah!" said Moody, "I couldn't get a hold of Miss Nihil in the first place. No, no, she never lost control for even a second. Well done, well done indeed. They'll have a hard time controlling you."

After that, Professor Moody seemed to take a special interest in Ellie. On principle, Ellie didn't raise her hand every time she knew the answer to a question. She found that sort of behavior tiresome and rather alienating to her peers. Yuki subscribed to the same philosophy. Unless no one else was going to answer, it was better to give everyone a chance. But Moody, like Professor Sprout, soon realized that Ellie always had an answer prepared, even if she wasn't volunteering it.

One day, he asked her to stay behind after class. She thought it might have something to do with her knowing too much about the curses they had covered in class that day. Professor Kamat had certainly found that suspicious, and Moody was as passionate as she had been about catching dark wizards. But it turned out that he didn't want to discuss the Dark Arts at all.

"Come here, Nihil. Have a seat," said Moody, pulling a chair from a desk and settling himself down. Ellie took an adjacent seat, rather hesitantly. It felt a little too casual, to be talking to a Professor without a desk between them.

"What did you want to talk about, Professor Moody?" asked Ellie.

"Nothing serious, nothing serious," said Moody, "don't you worry about that. I was talking to Professor Babbling the other day, and she told me about your independent studies. Magical Theory, eh? That's some pretty advanced stuff, even for a sixth year student."

He seemed to be waiting for some reply, but Ellie wasn't sure what, so she just nodded.

"Go on then, tell me more about it," said Moody, "I'm curious, very curious. It's rare to see someone go so far outside the Hogwarts curriculum."

"Er, well I'm interested in the origins of magic," said Ellie slowly, "not just using it as a tool, you know. What makes a plant or creature magical and not mundane? What is the source of magical power, and is it infinite or finite? How does magic affect physical matter, in the long run? How does it interact with other types of energy? What are the oldest and deepest forms of magic, and how can deepening our understanding of those improve the way we use common day-to-day magic? Questions like that…"

Moody nodded eagerly, his magical eye whizzing around in seemingly random directions. "Those are some big questions, Nihil. And not easily answered, I should think. How do you go about answering them, I wonder? Reading other theoreticians?"

"At first, yes," said Ellie, "but there's only so much to go on there. It's still early in the year, but I'm trying to piece together a theory based on historical anecdotes and my own experiments. It's not exactly an airtight proof, but I can at least refine my hypotheses."

At Moody's urging, Ellie went on to explain her goal for the Fall term. At first she just painted the picture in broad strokes, since that's all most people wanted to hear. She was trying to imbue an ordinary plant with magic in such a way that its progeny would retain the magical traits, thus creating a new magical plant. But when Moody seemed genuinely interested, she kept adding details. The types of plants she was considering, how she would measure the magic, the soil and environment she would use, the control groups, the timeline.

"It might not work at all, though," concluded Ellie, "I think I'm the first to try."

Moody sunk into a thoughtful silence for a minute, appraising the young witch with his non-magical eye. He took a big gulp out of his hip flask, then turned both eyes to Ellie. "Have you put any thought into a career yet, Nihil?"

This wasn't what Ellie was expecting him to ask. "No sir," said Ellie, "I mean, I thought I might be a wandmaker for a while. But I'm not sure I'd want to keep doing that forever."

"No, no, a sharp mind like yours needs to keep growing, doing new things. Can't waste that brilliance whittling wood!" said Moody, "Have you heard of the Department of Mysteries?"

It sounded vaguely familiar, but Ellie couldn't quite place the name. She guessed, "Is that a department in the British Ministry of Magic?"

"That's right," said Moody, "You may have heard of it, but hardly anyone knows what goes on in there. That's where the ministry conducts all their top secret research. Asking and answering big questions, that's the job. It's a small department, full of strange and mysterious folks as the name implies. Unspeakables, they're called. It's rare to find anyone suited for that kind of work, but I think it may be just right for you, eh?"

Ellie considered this. Asking and answering big questions. She hadn't thought there could be a job like that. She wondered if the questions were assigned like homework, or if she would be able to bring her own. "But why are you telling me this?" asked Ellie, "I had a career advice meeting with Professor Snape last year, and I'm not really due for another until the end of my seventh year."

Moody shook his head, "Severus didn't think of this, though, did he? Never cared for the ministry, that man. I may not have left on the best of terms, but I still have some connections there."

"Are you -" began Ellie, "Are you saying that you could help me get a job at the Ministry? In the Department of Mysteries?"

"Aye, that's what I'm saying," said Moody, "Think about it. Maybe we can even get you a summer internship, eh? Now go on, I've made you late for lunch already."

Over the next few weeks, Ellie became obsessed with the idea. Both Phineas and Yuki agreed that it sounded like a good match for her interests. But neither of them knew much more about the department than Moody had told her in the initial conversation. Wanting to learn more about it, she decided to ask Snape at their next Sunday meeting.

After practicing occlumency for just a few minutes, they decided to stop for the day. Ellie had pretty much gotten the hang of it. Between resisting the imperius curse and constantly doing mental exercises to prepare for occlumency lessons with Snape, her mind was locked down and in-control all the time. At first it was tiring, but the more she maintained this state, the easier it became. She'd asked again if she could learn the other side of it, legilimency, but Snape outright refused to tell her anything about it.

"Fine, no legilimency," said Ellie, "I'll stop asking."

"Good," said Snape, "I have enough to worry about without your incessant questioning."

"I'm not done with questions," clarified Ellie, "but I'll drop that one for now. What do they study in the Department of Mysteries?"

Ellie hoped to catch him off guard, maybe surprise him into an honest answer, but it did not have the desired effect. He was surprised, but also angry.

"Whatever you've heard about that place, ignore it," said Snape sternly, "I don't want you involved."

"What? Why?" asked Ellie, "involved in what?"

"Involved in anything!" he snapped. "I don't know why you're sticking your nose into that but -"

"I have to think about my career at some point!"

"Career? What are you talking about? There's nothing in the hall that can tell you what to do with your life."

"What am  _ I  _ talking about?" echoed Ellie incredulously, "what are  _ you _ talking about? What hall?"

Snape almost replied but stopped himself. He was clearly missing something. "What  _ are _ you talking about?" he asked, "why the sudden interest in the Department of Mysteries?"

"I thought I might work there," explained Ellie, "after graduation. To continue my research."

"I see," said Snape thoughtfully. "I would advise against it at the present moment."

"Why?" asked Ellie. Clearly Snape knew something about the Department of Mysteries that she didn't. "Does this have something to do with all those secret meetings with Dumbledore about Potter?"

"Listen," said Snape irritably, "I'm trying to keep you away from all this trouble. You need to stop asking. If I tell you to stay away from there, then stay away. Do you trust me?"

Ellie considered fighting the matter, but when it came down to it, she  _ did _ trust Snape. And she also didn't want to know more than she needed to about whatever inevitable horrors awaited the boy who lived. Really, she was trying to live her life free of the Dark Lord's curse that had forever marked her half-brother. She knew too much already. "I trust you," she said.

"Good," said Snape, "there is something I need to tell you then. Strictly speaking, this is not something I am supposed to tell you, but it isn't exactly a well-kept secret. It is important that you understand why I am telling you, though. I'm not expecting you to do anything about it, but you can be more careful if you are aware…"

"Stop being so cryptic," said Ellie, "If you're going to tell me, then tell me."

"The Headmaster of Durmstrang, Igor Karkaroff, was a Death Eater. He will be arriving with his students this week, and I want you to stay away from him."

Ellie gulped. She knew that former Death Eaters were still out there, but it was strange to know that one of them was about to be invited as an honoured guest.

"It is unlikely that you will have any opportunities to speak to him," continued Snape, "but you should be on your guard around his students as well. Durmstrang teaches its students Dark Magic, not merely defence. If any of them get it into their heads to usurp your status as the unrivalled duelling champion of Hogwarts, you may find yourself in real trouble."

"I've never even been in a real duel," protested Ellie, "I just cursed some bullies a few times. And not even that badly!"

"Still, your reputation has a life of its own," said Snape, "especially among the younger students. All I ask is caution. I don't know when it will happen, but bad things are coming soon. Be ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment if you read it :) I love feedback


	3. The Triwizard Tournament

Despite Snape's cautions, which Ellie really tried to take to heart, everything at Hogwarts felt peaceful. Her classes and her research were going well, and the whole school was buzzing with excitement over the arrival of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.

When the delegations arrived, Ellie tried to get a good look at Karkaroff. He didn't seem so terrifying, but she was still a little chilled to see a Death Eater in their midst. Snape, too, was a Death Eater in their midst she supposed. But at least Ellie knew his true allegiance. She was so busy looking at Karkaroff that she didn't even notice Krum. Phineas quickly rectified this by jabbing her with his elbow and furiously whispering " _ that's Viktor Krum! _ "

When the Durmstrang delegation chose to sit with the Slytherins, Phineas practically shoved Ellie off the bench, trying to free up a seat for Krum. The famous Quidditch player found a different seat, but another Durmstrang student took the empty spot, so Ellie found herself sitting between Tiberius Flint and a very tall slavic looking girl from Durmstrang.

Ellie wasn't sure if she was supposed to befriend the girl, from Snape's warnings, but it seemed rude not to talk to her, especially since their elbows kept brushing. Ellie learned that the girl's name was Sasha and she was born in Russia, but had moved all over Europe as a child. Like Yuki, her father was a diplomat. She said it was a relief to finally stop moving around and just stay at Durmstrang. She seemed a little sad to be spending her last year away from her beloved school, but she was eager to prove herself as the champion of Durmstrang.

"Hogwarts has so many students," she said, "who among you will try to be champion?"

Ellie explained that she was too young, but she pointed out some of the older Slytherin students in the sixth and seventh year. Tiberius said that he was old enough, but he'd rather just watch. Phineas, who'd just turned 17 in September, seconded this take on the situation.

Thereafter, Sasha seemed a little colder. If Ellie had to guess, she was regretting her bad luck in sitting down in a group of unathletic nerds who were unwilling to risk life and limb for glory. Tiberius wasn't quite as uncool as his younger cousin, Phineas. He was in a band with Ben and Cat, after all. But Ellie got the feeling that Sasha would have preferred sitting with Tiberius's older brother, Marcus Flint, who had been captain of the Quidditch team before graduating. 

Further down the table, Ellie saw Draco and his clique of fourth year lackeys chatting up Krum, who looked equally disappointed with their seating arrangements.

Overall, Ellie was relieved to leave the awkward conversation behind them when dinner finally ended. Phineas, however, couldn't stop talking about Sasha all the way back to the common room.

Yuki, Tiberius, and Ben trailed behind them as Phineas told Ellie about how much he wanted to travel the world and how lucky Sasha was and how  _ cultured _ she was. And how well-spoken. And brave. And intelligent. And beautiful.

"We get it, Phin," said Yuki impatiently, "you're crushing hard. But can you shut up for a second and just say the password so we can go in?"

Blushing slightly, Phineas muttered, "hognose" and led their way into the common room.

"Honestly it's kind of refreshing seeing you with a crush, cuz," said Tiberius, "I get that you're a huge nerd but honestly you've never dated  _ anyone _ ."

"Yeah, how's that band of yours working as a girl-magnet, mate?" said Phineas, "having lots of success then?"

"Touche, little cuz," said Tiberius, "but it's about quality, not quantity. Annita was a real catch."

"Didn't she dump you at the end of last year?" asked Yuki.

"The curse of loving an older woman," said Ben, patting Tiberius on the shoulder sympathetically, although Tiberius didn't seem too cut up over it.

"Come on, let's turn in early," said Tiberius, "let the little ones discuss their crushes. I want to get up early to watch people put their names in the cup."

Most of Slytherin seemed to have the same idea. Before long, Ellie, Yuki, and Phineas were the only ones left in the common room.

"You know, now that I think about it," said Phineas, "none of us have ever dated anyone. Do you two talk about your crushes? Is it a girl thing? Because honestly I can't remember either of you ever expressing an interest in anyone."

Ellie and Yuki both shook their heads. "I guess we've always had more interesting things to talk about," said Ellie, "and I've never had any more than like, a fleeting, passing interest in anyone. Not worth talking about."

"Who?" asked Phineas curiously.

Ellie shrugged, "They were just stupid little crushes. I don't want you to read anything into them, you know? Honestly, I'd rather forget about those guys. Some of them were pretty embarrassing."

"Ok, fine," said Phineas, "but maybe tell us about the next one? I feel like we're missing a vital part of normal friendship here."

Ellie laughed but agreed to tell him. "What about you, Yuki?" asked Ellie, "any cute guys in your life that we somehow failed to notice?"

Yuki replied, "Nope, not me." but refused to meet their eyes.

"Hang on," said Phineas, "that was a lie! And don't try to deny it, I know your tells. You do have a crush on someone!"

Ellie clapped her hands gleefully and said, "ooh, tell us! Who is he?"

Yuki stubbornly folded her arms and said, "no."

"Come on, why not?" Asked Phineas, “is it really embarrassing or something? We promise not to judge, no matter who he is, right Ellie?”

“I promise.” Said Ellie, “no matter how bad it is.”

“I don’t believe you,” said Yuki.

“Merlin’s beard, that bad huh?” Said Phineas.

“What, is he really young or something?" asked Ellie. "A fourth year? No, you don’t know many fourth years. a fifth year?”

“No, nothing like that!” Said Yuki.

“Nice, so we’ve narrowed it down to sixth and seventh years then.” Said Phineas.

Yuki scowled, "You tricked me into that. Why do you even want to know?"

"More to the point, why don't you want us to know?" said Ellie, "Like Phin said, telling your friends about your crushes is normal."

Yuki scoffed but made no reply.

"Maybe it's too normal," said Phineas, "Maybe the great intellectual Yuki doesn't want to admit that she has a dumb crush on a dumb boy."

Ellie nodded thoughtfully and said, "True, Yuki wouldn't find typically weird things embarrassing, only weirdly typical things… I bet he's a Quidditch player."

Yuki squirmed uncomfortably and Phineas exclaimed, "He  _ is _ a Quidditch player! Good guess, Ellie."

"I never said that!" said Yuki, unconvincingly.

"That narrows it down a lot." said Phineas happily, "Let's see… what Quidditch players do we know in our year? Adrian Pucey?"

"Nah, Adrian's great." said Ellie, "She'd have admitted it right away if it was Adrian. Right, Yuki?"

"I'm not answering that."

"Okay, okay…" said Phineas, "I'll prove how non-judgemental we can be. What's the worst case scenario? For Yuki, I mean. The most embarrassing person she could possibly like."

"I've got it!" said Ellie, "Cedric Diggory!  _ Everyone _ likes Cedric Diggory! That would just be way too stereotypical for Yuki. He's a Quidditch player, he's smart, he's handsome…"

"Yeah, and a smug prat." said Phineas.

"He's actually quite modest, if you don't let your inferiority complex get in the way," said Yuki. Before Ellie could shout her triumph, though, Yuki said, "but I don't like him like that."

"The only thing worse than a Hufflepuff is a Gryffindor," said Ellie.

Yuki looked away with a blush and Phineas exclaimed, "Two for two, Ell! He's a Gryffindor Quidditch player! Wood graduated and Potter's too young, so it must be one of the Weasley twins."

Ellie grinned and said, "Ok I see your hesitation now, they're not exactly what I would have expected, and they did target me a bit in my first year, but I promised not to judge."

"So which one is it?" asked Phineas, "Fred or George?"

"Neither!" said Yuki, turning a brighter shade of pink.

"But that's everyone on the Gryffindor team," said Ellie thoughtfully, "unless… Oh my god, I am so dumb. I'm so sorry, Yuki! I just assumed -"

"What? What is it?" asked Phineas, "What am I missing?"

Ellie leaned toward Yuki and said, "Do you - I mean is it… is it Angelina Johnson?"

Yuki didn't answer, but that was all the confirmation they needed after she had denied their previous suggestions so quickly.

"Oh." said Phineas quietly, "Now I feel like a prat. Asking  _ who is he _ and  _ what's his name _ … But hey, Angelina's alright, right Ellie?"

"Oh- er - yeah!" said Ellie, "I mean she's a Gryffindor, and a bit of a jock..."

"And a girl." said Yuki miserably.

"Hey you don't think we'd care about that, do you?" said Ellie. 

"Yeah liking girls is way better than liking Diggory," said Phineas.

"Really?" asked Yuki, "you don't think it's weird or something?"

"Not weird," said Phineas, "just a little surprising. I've never met a gay person before."

"Neither have I," replied Yuki.

"Are you sure you are, though?" asked Ellie, "I mean, how can you tell?"

"I mean, I don't know that I  _ don't _ like boys," said Yuki, "But I know I like Angelina."

"But how do you know you like her?" insisted Ellie, "How is it different from wanting to be her friend?"

Yuki shrugged and said, "How do  _ you  _ know you like someone? It's the same thing. When you know you know."

Ellie thought about it for a moment and responded, "I don't think I've ever  _ really  _ liked anyone. But I guess you're right. You know when you know."

The next morning, they joined the rest of the school to watch students putting their names into the cup. When Angelina put her name in, Ellie clapped too, despite the taboo of cheering for a Gryffindor. Really, when she thought about it, Angelina wasn't bad at all. The Weasley's embarrassing attempt to cross the age-line elicited more cheers, but she didn't join in on those. Anyone who got in by cheating the system clearly didn't deserve to be Champion. Even though a few Slytherins did put their names in, Ellie thought that Angelina might be their best shot at winning.

When the selection actually took place, though, she was not at all surprised to hear that Cedric Diggory would be representing Hogwarts. Her applause wasn't quite as enthusiastic as it could have been, but she was reasonably pleased. Cedric stood a chance, she thought. Tiberius was right, watching was definitely the best way to go with a thing like this. She could cheer for her champion, but then go back to classes and not think about the tournament at all. Already, her mind was drifting back to the experimental herbology lab she had set up this past week.

But the Triwizard cup wasn't finished. It had one last surprise. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, the fourth Triwizard champion.

Ellie felt cold all over. Just last week, Snape had said that bad things were coming, but he didn't know when. Despite the cheers that the other champions had earned, this seemed like a very bad thing. Ellie tried to catch Snape's eye, but like everyone else, he was only watching Harry. She couldn't be sure, but underneath the anger she saw there, she thought she recognized a trace of fear.

In a way, Snape was relieved that Potter was in the Triwizard tournament. Now all of his concerns were condensed into one unbearable stressful event, rather than trying to split his attention between Karkaroff and Potter. It was all connected.

But as usual, Potter was unaware of all the efforts going on behind the scenes to protect him. He was merely basking in the glory, as always. The youngest Triwizard champion in history! Nevermind that somewhere behind all of this, the Dark Lord was probably pulling the strings. For the thousandth time that year, he stared at the mark on his arm. Looking at it every day, the change was imperceptible. But knowing that a year ago there had been nothing there at all, the grayish lines were dark and terrifying.

He was sure that Karkaroff had noticed as well. He was sure, but he hadn't asked. Taking his own advice, he was avoiding the Durmstrang Headmaster. If Karkaroff was behind any of this, Snape couldn't risk revealing his true sympathies in any way. And if he wasn't involved, then he would be branded a traitor and turncoat upon the Dark Lord's return, and Snape wouldn't want anything to do with him for the sake of his cover.

While the rest of the school seemed to believe that Potter had somehow hoodwinked the cup, Ellie seemed to recognize right away that this was not something done for his benefit. Snape assured her as best he could that they would all be watching out for Potter, but she was still visibly nervous. For the first time in a while, she struggled with occlumency. 

Snape was furious that this half-brother she barely knew could be her weakness, but at least they were learning this while there was still time to prepare. More and more, Dumbledore was demanding his time for Order business, and he still had his many teaching duties to attend to, but he would make time for this. Dumbledore was unaware of how much Ellie knew, but if he was he would agree that her ability to protect her mind was of the utmost importance.

Dumbledore was feigning nobility in not preparing Potter for the first task, but Snape saw the wisdom in this. There were safeguards in place to prevent death, and it would actually be for the best if Potter failed horribly in the first task and had to withdraw from the competition. It might teach the boy a lesson in humility as well, which he sorely needed. With his current egotistical swagger he was likely to saunter up to the Dark Lord at the first chance he got and get himself killed.

The arrival of the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons delegations didn't actually have a big impact on Ellie's day to day life. She still went to class, did her homework, worked on her projects, and spent time with her friends. The Durmstrang students did continue to take meals at the Slytherin table, though, so she had a chance to get to know some of them better. Krum was in his own world, taking private lessons with Karkaroff and preparing for the first task, but the rest of the students who hadn't been chosen were trying to make the most of their foreign visit.

Phineas somehow managed to strike up a cordial friendship with Sasha and a few of the other students, but Ellie got bored of watching him make googly eyes at his crush, so didn't always join in the conversation. Donna and Adrian were both still bitter about the cancellation of the Quidditch season and didn't hide their resentment of their foreign visitors. When Ellie grew tired of the Durmstrang lot, she would join them.

The Durmstrang students did have some interesting things to share, though. Yuki asked them a lot about the subjects they studied there that weren't covered at Hogwarts. Mostly, this meant Phosphoromancy and the Dark Arts. Sasha, it turned out, was well known for her prowess in the Dark Arts, but she wouldn't show them anything. "Karkaroff would like us to protect our secrets," she explained, "He is protective of Durmstrang's knowledge. As am I."

What really got Ellie excited, though, was their wands. None of them were made by Ollivander. Sasha let Ellie examine her Rostovsky-made wand. The style was similar to Ollivander's, and it had a dragon-heartstring core, but there was something in the feel of it that she had never encountered with any of the many wands she'd handled in Ollivander's shop. She wished she could examine it more closely, but she didn't want to risk offending Sasha.

"Do any of you have a Gregorovitch wand?" asked Ellie.

"Viktor does," said Sasha, "but he won't let you touch it."

Ellie thought about tracking down Viktor Krum and trying to explain to him that she was merely a curious wandmaker, but she gave up on it pretty quickly when she saw the gaggle of girls that were always following him around. She didn't want anyone to think that she was following him around because he was a celebrity or anything.

And in any case, she should be keeping her distance from Krum. Karkaroff might be paying little mind to the rest of his students, but he would definitely notice anyone who was hanging around his precious champion. And Ellie was doing her best not to be noticed.

The first task came and went, and Ellie continued with classes as normal. She was relieved to see Potter do so well, and gradually stopped worrying about him. He had his world, where he was Triwizard Champion and a favorite in the school, and Ellie had her world, where she did Herbology and Wandlore research that no one else cared about. Really, the Triwizard Tournament had very little to do with her at all.

That is, until they announced the Yule Ball.

Ellie should have seen this coming, since dress robes were on the supply list this year, but she had completely forgotten about that in the intervening months. She had robes to wear, and she didn't have to make any excuses to her parents about not going home for Christmas, but there was the small (huge) matter of getting someone to ask her to go with them.

"If you're so worried about it, just ask someone yourself," said Phineas, "better act fast though. People are pairing off quickly. I heard that Adrian's already asked Donna."

"I don't know who I could ask, though!" said Ellie, "Anyone's fine, probably. I just don't want to go alone."

"We could all go together," suggested Yuki, "No one said you  _ need _ a date."

"You two go if you want," said Phineas, "I'm asking Sasha."

"I can't believe I used to think you were shy," said Ellie, "and now you're just casually inviting a 6-foot tall, older, foreign witch to a ball."

"Hey, if I'm skipping the family party I need to go big." said Phineas, "no regrets."

"What about Tiberius?" asked Ellie, "I know he was planning to perform at your party. Do you think he'd choose that over the Yule ball?"

Just then, Tiberius and Ben walked into the common room and joined their group. "Discussing the ball?" asked Tiberius astutely.

"Yeah, Ellie was just wondering if you were planning to come or not," said Phineas, "because of the Annual Flint Christmas party and all."

"No way I'm missing this," said Tiberius, "did you hear who they got to play at the Yule Ball?"

They all shook their heads, except for Ben who somewhat stole Tiberius's thunder by blurting, "The Weird Sisters! Can you believe it?"

"Cool, I've never heard them play before," said Phineas, "not live anyway."

"Cool? That's all you have to say?" said Tiberius, "You're entirely missing the point, Phineas! It's going to be a small show! They're going to be hanging around afterwards! We're going to get to actually  _ meet _ them!"

"We want to give them one of our records," said Ben, "See what they think of Tin Man."

It took Ellie a moment to remember that Tin Man was the name of their band. 

"But you don't have any records yet," said Yuki.

"Exactly!" said Tiberius, "we've got all this music, but we haven't recorded it yet because we don't have a vocalist."

"I thought Ben was doing vocals," said Ellie.

"I was," replied Ben, "but just as a placeholder. I'd rather stick to guitar if I can. We want the recording to actually sound good, you know. I'm not exactly cutting it."

"Which is where you come in, Phineas," said Tiberius.

"No way," said Phineas, "I agreed to be a lyricist, not a singer. You know how bad my stage fright gets."

"That's the beauty of it!" said Ben, "we're just recording it. No audience."

"I don't know…" stalled Phineas. "You're not going to use this to blackmail me or something, right? And this isn't an excuse to force me to play live someday either?"

"Of course not!" said Tiberius, "we just really need you for this recording. There's no time to teach anyone else all the songs. So you'll help us out?"

"Fine," replied Phineas, "just this once."

Tiberius whooped and punched the air, "Just wait, little cuz! We're gonna be stars!"

"No stages!" said Phineas, "I mean it!"

"Alright, alright," said Ben, "we know. Cat's gonna be thrilled. She wanted you singing with us from the beginning. Hey maybe the band will work as a girl magnet for you. You planning to ask that Durmstrang girl? The Amazon?"

"That's the plan," said Phineas, "who are you asking?"

"Cat and I agreed to go together already," said Ben, "As friends, of course."

"See, we can go as friends!" said Yuki.

"You might want to hold out on that, Yuki," said Tiberius, "I have it on good authority that someone is planning to ask you."

"What?" said Yuki, "Who? Why?"

Ben laughed and said, "That's a secret. You'll find out soon, though. I'm not so sure you'll appreciate it, but Tiberius disagrees."

"Many and varied tastes," said Tiberius, "who knows what the enigmatic Yuki looks for in a dancing partner?"

Yuki blushed a little and said, "Fine, I'll wait. I need to go work on transfiguration now, though. You coming, Phineas?"

Phineas hopped out of his chair and followed Yuki out of the common room, presumably to the library. Tiberius took Phineas's seat, and Ben sort of wandered off, vaguely in the direction of the dorms.

"So, Ellie..." said Tiberius, "have a date for the Yule Ball yet?"

Underneath his usual careless effervescence, Ellie detected a note of nervousness. "Er… no, not yet," said Ellie.

"Right," said Tiberius, "that's good - I mean, not  _ good _ but -" he cut himself off and smiled sheepishly. "What I meant to say was, do you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

"Oh," said Ellie. She hadn't really had time to prepare an answer, but she couldn't think of a reason to say no. She did like Tiberius, after all. They had been friends for years. Not as close as Phineas and Yuki, but nearly. She couldn't tell if he was asking as a friend, though, like Cat and Ben, or if he was expecting this to be like a real date.

Picking up on the hesitation, Tiberius added, "I mean, we had a good time at my Christmas Party a few times, right? I don't mean to put any pressure on you. If you'd rather go with Yuki, I'd understand."

"No -" said Ellie, "I mean, yes, I'd like to go with you. You just sort of caught me by surprise."

"Great!" said Tiberius, regaining his usual buoyancy. "I've got to get ready for the recording sessions, but I'll see you around!"

"Er, right," said Ellie, "see you…"

Ellie thought that this would be the big news when Phineas and Yuki got back from the library, but it turns out that Yuki had her own Yule Ball surprise.

"Someone already asked you?" said Ellie, "When? Who? Did you say yes?"

Phineas laughed and said, "Ooh, you should guess first. It's perfect. Just imagine the last person you would ever imagine Yuki going on a date with…"

"A boy?" asked Ellie.

Yuki shook her head and covered her face in embarrassment.

"What? A girl?" said Ellie, "but that's a good thing, isn't it?"

"It's worse," said Yuki, slightly muffled by her hands, "so much worse."

"Why? Who was it?" said Ellie, "Just spit it out!"

"Millicent Bulstrode," said Phineas with a grin.

"Oh…" said Ellie, "yeah that is worse… She is a bit…"

"Stupid." said Yuki, "an absolute Troll."

"Opposites do attract," said Phineas playfully.

"Don't even joke about it," said Yuki, "I hope I never have to see her ever again. It was awful."

"Why, what did you say to her?" said Ellie.

"Nothing mean," said Yuki, "I just said that she was too young for me then sort of… ran away."

"And Tiberius knew about it!" said Phineas, "I can't believe he thought Yuki might say yes… did you even tell him you're a lesbian?"

"I never said I was a lesbian," said Yuki, "but I did sort of use him to find out who Angelina was going with, and he might have guessed it from there."

"Who's she going with?" asked Phineas.

"No one yet," said Yuki, "but word is that she wants to go with Fred Weasley. I'm not going to ask her. I think she'd take it about as well as I took Bulstrode's invitation…"

Ellie wanted to contradict this statement, but honestly Angelina was unlikely to accept if she was waiting on Fred Weasley.

"So, Ellie," said Yuki, "do you want to go with me, to forestall any more uncomfortable invitations?"

"Er… I can't," said Ellie, "I already said yes to Tiberius."

Neither Yuki nor Phineas seemed surprised by this. "I guess I need to ask Sasha quickly then," said Phineas, "before someone beats me to it."

It turned out to be quite a challenge getting Sasha on her own to ask her. She always seemed to be with her Durmstrang friends no matter where they ran into her. Eventually they conceived of a plot where Ellie and Phineas invited Sasha and another student to come look inside the greenhouses, and Ellie led Sasha's friend away so they could talk in private.

It was a huge success, in that Sasha didn't outright reject the invitation. It was less of a success, in that Sasha only agreed to go with Phineas if he could convince Yuki to go with her friend, Andrei Poliakoff, who it turned out was too nervous to ask Yuki directly.

His nervousness was entirely justified, because Yuki had absolutely no interest in going with him.

"Please," begged Phineas, "for me? It's not like you have anyone else you particularly want to go with."

"I think she'd rather you both be dateless and go together," said Ellie.

"If I can't go with Sasha I'm not going at all," said Phineas. "Come on, Andrei's alright, Yuki. Sure, he's a bit of a slob, but he was good enough to be chosen for the Durmstrang delegation, right? I bet he's a great dancer. And he's pretty friendly."

"I don't think friendship is what he's after, Phin," said Yuki, "and I really cannot express just how uninterested I am in him. I am not a bartering item, Phineas. I'm your friend. If Sasha doesn't really want to go with you, then you should just accept that."

Phineas pouted pitifully. "I'm not hoping for true love," said Phineas, "I just want to dance with a pretty girl at a winter ball. And I'm sure that's all Andrei wants too."

"Yeah, and so do I," said Yuki, but with an obvious tone of defeat. "If I do this, you owe me big time."

Phineas lifted her off the ground in a bear hug and said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am in your debt, bestest of best friends."

"Hey, what about me?" asked Ellie.

"You stole my cousin when I wasn't looking, so you're tier two for now," said Phineas, "you can redeem yourself by convincing Sasha not to wear heels. She's a full head taller than me to begin with."

"No way," said Ellie, "You wanted the freakishly tall Amazon, and that's what you're going to get. I hope she wears six inch heels, just for you."

"Maybe you should wear heels," suggested Yuki, "get on her level."

It was meant to be a joke, but he looked like he was seriously considering it. 


	4. The Yule Ball

The day of the Ball was largely spent in her dorm room getting ready with the other Slytherin girls in her year. Ordinarily, Ellie and Yuki didn't bother with makeup, but Donna insisted that it was a requirement for fancy events, so they patiently allowed her to paint their faces. In fact, Donna took it upon herself to do hair, makeup, and even dressing for all the girls in their year who had elected to stay for the event.

Ellie's dress robes were the same ones that Phineas's mother had given her four years ago for the Flint family Christmas party, magically altered to fit her lengthening and widening frame. Ellie didn't think about it very often, but now that she was spending basically four consecutive hours staring in the mirror, she realized that she had actually gotten kind of fat.

She tried to remember what it had been like, scrounging food from the pantry in a nearly-forgotten foster home, but she couldn't quite resurrect the feeling. She hadn't been hungry, really truly hungry, in years. In one occlumency lesson with Snape, he had broken through and stirred one of those memories, and she had briefly embodied that childhood state of desperation, but she'd mastered the emotion and pushed Snape away. She didn't fear hunger anymore, not really. She smiled at herself in the mirror and admired the roundness of her cheeks. Somewhere under there, she knew there were cheekbones, but she was perfectly content to not see them for a while.

Yuki wasn't too fussed about her appearance, since she was going with Andrei and not anyone she wanted to impress. But Donna was determined to turn her hair into an elaborate nest of braids and curls, so she sat patiently while Donna worked her magic. Belatedly, Ellie realized that Donna actually was using some light spellwork to keep the pins in place. With no Quidditch, Donna needed some other outlet for all her manic energy, and fashion was as good as anything.

They met up with the boys in the common room before heading upstairs. Most of them had obviously put very little effort into their looks, simply swapping their school robes for something a little more formal or colorful. Tiberius and Ben were obvious exceptions. They were wearing matching dress robes much like the ones Ellie had first seen Tiberius wear. They were a deep, rich black, more silk than cotton, and decorated with a galaxy of colorful constellations, charmed to swirl gently across the folds.

She thought that this was more to impress The Weird Sisters than Ellie herself, a suspicion that was largely confirmed by Cat showing up in the same outfit. Even among the growing crowd, they stood out. They found Sasha and Andrei in the entrance hall and quickly made their way into the great hall to reserve one of the large round tables that had replaced the usual setup.

Sasha looked glorious, towering over Phineas in her regal fur-trimmed robes, but Andrei was by contrast rather disappointing. His robes were already wrinkled and he had something in his teeth that everyone seemed to be ignoring. Yuki smiled politely and took his arm when it was offered, and graciously sat down when he pulled out the chair. He seemed nervous, like he couldn't believe his good fortune in getting Yuki to come with him. Ellie wondered how long it would be before he realized that Yuki had been strong-armed into it by Sasha and Phineas.

Ellie applauded and craned her neck to get a good view of the champions as they entered. With all the drama of finding dates and anticipating the arrival of Tiberius's favorite band, she'd nearly forgotten that the ball was a part of the Triwizard Tournament.

Harry Potter looked nervous, but his date seemed to be enjoying herself immensely, smiling and waving at the crowd. Unthinkingly, Ellie found herself smiling back. She didn't know much about her little brother's personal life, other than from the highly inaccurate articles that kept popping up in the Daily Prophet, but she was glad that he'd found such a charming and beautiful girl to come with. She wondered if they were dating, or if they'd maybe just come as friends.

Once the meal began, Ellie asked about the mystery girl. The nice thing about having a famous secret brother was that nobody found her curiosity in him curious. Everyone wanted the latest gossip on the Boy Who Lived.

"That's the other Patil twin," explained Cat. "Her sister, Padma, is in Ravenclaw with me. Fourth year. I can never remember the other one's name. Something with a P. Anyway, she's a Gryffindor."

Ellie was hoping to get a little more than that, but none of them seemed to know her well. She was quite a bit younger, after all. Ellie recognized Diggory and Delacour's dates, both members of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team until this year. But she couldn't place a finger on Krum's date.

"Who's the girl who came with Krum?" asked Ellie, "I don't recognize her."

Sasha shrugged and said, "Some Hogwarts girl, presumably."

"Hermione Granger," said Cat, master of secrets, "Gryffindor fourth year."

"Fourth year?" said Phineas, "Blimey, Krum's a bit old to be dating a fourth year, don't you think?"

"Hang on, that name sounds familiar," said Yuki, "wasn't she one of the ones who got petrified in our third year?"

"Oh right," Ben mused, "One of Potter's friends. She's supposed to be brilliant, top of her class in everything. Must be muggle-born, though, or she wouldn't have been petrified."

"That explains Krum's interest," said Sasha, "a taste of the forbidden fruit."

"What do you mean?" asked Phineas.

With his mouth full, Andrei said, "Durmstrang does not admit mudbloods."

He said it so casually that Ellie wondered if that was considered a dirty word at Durmstrang, or if that was just what they called muggle-borns. She was used to hearing it thrown around in Slytherin, but rarely outside the common room. No one said anything, but everyone glanced at Ellie nervously to see if she would.

Ellie knew exactly who her parents were. They were both half-bloods. But just about everyone else was under the impression that she was muggleborn. Even among her friends, only Yuki and Phineas knew that she had been raised in a Children's Home and adopted by Snape. Tiberius just thought that she had a strained relationship with her muggle parents that she didn't like to discuss.

In general, Ellie didn't mind the word mudblood, and even used it herself sometimes. Ellie was not a mudblood. But she still suffered all the social consequences of being perceived as such. On a few occasions, when people had gotten really nasty, she'd cursed people for calling her a mudblood. She could only handle so much taunting, and at a certain point her anger would just get the better of her. They were waiting to see if this would be one of those times. Andrei, contentedly digging into his meal, didn't even notice that he was in a dangerous situation. When Ellie made no move to draw her wand or correct his language, though, Tiberius stepped in with some amusing anecdote about Krum's fangirls to diffuse the tension.

After the meal, the tables flew away to clear a dance floor, and a stage popped up by the wall. And sure enough, The Weird Sisters trooped out and picked up their instruments. They looked a bit older than they did on the album covers, but Ellie had to admit that they had style, with their ripped clothes and ridiculously shaggy hair. Everyone applauded, but none so loud as Tiberius, she thought. They immediately picked up their instruments and began to play something slow and elegant, quite outside their usual rock repertoire. The champions began the dance, but before long other couples began to join them on the floor. Tiberius held out his hand for her to take.

It wasn't the first time Ellie had danced with Tiberius Flint. She didn't dance the first time, she went, but she'd gone to his family's Christmas party in her third and fourth year as well, by which time her childhood aversion to dancing had diminished. But it had been a different situation then. In addition to Tiberius, she'd danced with Phineas, and Draco, and even Marcus. As the only young lady in the room who wasn't an aunt or cousin of some kind, she was passed between them like a twirling top. They'd made a bit of a game of it.

But suddenly Ellie was nervous. His hand on her waist was warm, and he was very, very close to her. She briefly met his eyes, then glanced away again blushing. Tiberius was very good at telling jokes and making light of situations. When they'd danced before, he was laughing and talking the whole time, so the physical proximity didn't seem quite so daunting. But he wasn't laughing now. 

Ellie dared to look at him again. The smallest hint of a smile played around his lips, without any of the usual irony. There was an intensity there that surprised her, given how casually he had invited her to the dance. Tiberius was a very good dancer. He led, and she followed, floating through some improvised sort of waltz that he decided on the spot. It made her feel a little dizzy, but in a good way. This time she held his eyes.

The song came to an end, and the spell lifted. Blushing, she turned to the stage and applauded The Weird Sisters with the rest of the crowd. Their next song was much more upbeat, not the sort of thing you needed a partner for, so they wandered over to where Ben and Cat had ended up and formed a sort of dance circle. The three of them all sang along, and Ellie found herself wishing she knew the words. A few songs in, she was getting tired, so Tiberius offered to get her a drink while Ellie found her friends.

Yuki, it turned out, was not much of a dancer, so she and Andrei were sitting by the wall, watching the party take place. Sasha and Phineas were still cutting it up on the dance floor. Phineas seemed to have overcome his self-consciousness about his height, because he looked like he was having the time of his life. Sasha was smiling as well, despite herself. She tended to keep a cool head and maintain an impressive air, but even she was cutting loose a little bit. Nothing like some good music to bring someone out of their shell.

Tiberius found them and Ellie gratefully drank the punch he'd brought. "Hot in here, isn't it?" she said, for lack of something better to say.

"What?" said Tiberius.

"I said it's hot in here!" said Ellie, more loudly. "And loud!"

He nodded toward the open doors of the hall and said, "Want to get some air?"

Ellie followed him out the doors and onto the grounds. The rose garden had been decorated especially for the ball, with fairies flitting in and out of the bushes. Ellie felt a little self conscious when she realized that there were several other couples out there already, sitting on benches and holding hands. She almost let her nerves convince her to turn around and head back inside right then, but she overcame that panic and allowed Tiberius to lead her over to a stone bench by the fountain. It was so tiny that they had no choice but to sit close together, legs brushing.

They sat like that for a while, watching a fairy play in the spout of water pouring out of the stone fish's mouth. It was peaceful there, and quiet, and magical in a way that was entirely new to Ellie.

Severus Snape was not enjoying the Yule Ball. In theory, this was an event for everyone to enjoy, but in actuality he was there to chaperone. He stood stiffly by the wall, glaring down students who were dancing too closely. A glare alone was enough for them to get the message. He was grateful that the Triwizard Tournament hadn't been reinstated sooner. This was by far the most boring and pointless thing he could think to be doing on Christmas. He had bigger concerns, at the moment, than teenagers being teenagers.

He was not the only one tonight consumed by loftier thoughts. Dumbledore, despite his apparent joviality, had not taken Crouch's absence well, and Bagman was up to something too. From across the room, Snape spotted Igor Karkaroff pushing his way through the dancing crowd to get to Snape. He'd been relentless lately, trying to get Snape on his own. Karkaroff came knocking at his office at least once a day and frequently tried to corner him after meals. 

This was far from a private setting, but perhaps Karkaroff's desperation was greater than he realized. The hall was loud, but not yet so loud that whispered questions and demands would go unheard. If he were to talk of the Dark Lord here, of all places, there would be trouble. But there he was, unmistakably making a beeline for the Potions professor.

Severus slipped into the crowd in an effort to shake off the Durmstrang Headmaster. He slipped through the dancing children, who melted out of his path obligingly. He made for the doors. Eventually Karkaroff would look for him outside, but for now Snape could avoid him in the rose gardens, and get some good chaperoning out of the way as well.

It didn't take long for Karkaroff to find him, even weaving in and out of the bushes, trying to stay out of sight. Karkaroff caught up with him at the intersection of two paths and fell into step. "I have been looking for you, Severus," said Igor. "We need to talk."

"I'm busy," said Snape calmly, shooting some sparks at a nearby couple who leapt up and ran back to the castle.

Karkaroff could have made light of this pointless task, but he seemed too nervous and preoccupied. In a rather carrying stage whisper, he said, "I know that you have noticed, Severus! Do you think Dumbledore will protect you? He cannot. He will not! We must leave while we can."

This was not the time or place for such conversation, but it was illuminating nonetheless. Igor was rightfully afraid of the Dark Lord's return, but he thought that Snape was afraid as well. He did not know, then, that it had been Voldemort himself who first ordered Snape to seek a position at Hogwarts. Igor believed that Snape had truly betrayed the Dark Lord, and that Voldemort would want them both dead upon his return. And as ludicrous as it seemed, Igor thought they could go into hiding together. But Severus would not run.

"I don't see what there is to fuss about, Igor."

Karkaroff whispered harshly, "Severus, you cannot pretend this isn't happening! It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it -"

"Then flee," said Snape curtly, "Flee - I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts."

Snape pointed his wand at each of the bushes in turn, eliciting squeals. He hoped that this would serve to remind Karkaroff that this was not a good place for such conversation. Two students ran past him and he snarled, "Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett! And ten points from Hufflepuff too, Stebbins!"

Through the dim lights, he saw two figures on the path ahead. "And what are you two doing?" he added.

"We're walking," said Ron Weasley, "Not against the law, is it?"

Snape found it highly suspicious that Potter and his friend were out here. They clearly didn't have the same motives as the other students thereabouts. He wouldn't put it past Potter and Weasley to be tailing Karkaroff or himself. It was exactly the sort of ill-advised snooping they enjoyed so much, without grasping any of the danger. He brushed past them and snarled, "Keep walking, then!"

He picked up the pace, hoping to put some distance between himself and Potter before Karkaroff could pick up the conversation again, but Igor foolishly hurried to catch up and continued, "When the time comes I will hide, Severus. Come with me. Together, we could -"

"Enough, Igor," Snape interrupted irritably, "I will not stop you, but I will not help you. You ask too much of me already."

Karkaroff did not acknowledge the rebuke, but he headed off down a branch in the path, back toward the castle. Snape did not think he would be asking again. There was a twinge of guilt. Voldemort was going to kill Karkaroff as soon as he could, and Snape wasn't going to do anything to stop it. Snape stared at the retreating figure, and knew he was seeing a dead man walking.

Snape absentmindedly gripped his forearm. These thoughts kept lurching at him at random intervals. One minute he was a teacher, chastising students for snogging in a garden, and the next minute he was contemplating the inevitable deaths the of the people around him. He loathed everything about the Triwizard Tournament. The pointless feats of bravery, the preening champions, the expense and frivolity of the events… All while he was quietly preparing for the second wizarding war.

He jabbed his wand at a couple, more forcefully than strictly necessary. Theodore Nott fell into a fountain with a splash, but Snape kept walking. Did Nott even know that his father was a Death Eater? When the mark burned, would his father flee, like Karkaroff, or join Voldemort again as his faithful servant? The coming war was likely to make an orphan of Nott either way.

Finishing his circuit through the garden, he found one more pair of students. In the fairy light he recognized them right away. Tiberius Flint and his own daughter, Ellie.

Perhaps he should have felt protective, or angered over this. As a chaperone, it was certainly his responsibility to interfere, as he had so carelessly done with all the others seeking this same sanctuary. But he could not bring himself to ruin their moment.

This war was likely to make an orphan of Ellie as well. He should let her have her little happiness, or her little heartbreak, whichever this turned out to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, much of the dialogue from this chapter is lifted directly from the books. Full credit to JKR for that.


	5. Tin Man

After the Yule Ball, Ellie and Tiberius became a bit of a couple. It wasn't too different from their usual friendship, except they sometimes snuck off to be on their own, without Phineas, Yuki, Ben, or Cat tagging along. They were acutely aware of the fact that Tiberius would be graduating in just a few short months, and would need to isolate himself even sooner than that to study for his NEWTs. They were enjoying their stolen moments while they could, but they weren't making any promises to each other. The likelihood of a relationship continuing after graduation was slim, and they both knew it.

This seemed even more true when Tiberius received a letter from The Weird Sisters, just a few weeks into February. After the Yule Ball, they had managed to give their record to the band members, who had listened to it, and apparently loved it. They wanted Tin Man to come on tour with them this summer.

This was great news for Tiberius, Ben, and Cat, who were serious about pursuing this as a career after graduation. Phineas, however, was less excited.

"I let you borrow my voice for the record," he said, for the 100th time, "that's it. I'm done."

"Come on, what else are you going to do this summer," said Tiberius, "it's not like you have any big plans."

"I deserve a vacation!" he replied, "And in case you forgot, public performances are neither fun nor relaxing for me."

"When's the last time you tried?" asked Yuki, gently. "You're a lot older now, and a lot more confident. I mean, you used to be so shy… don't you think you've changed?"

Phineas shook his head stubbornly. "I can't do it. I won't."

"Can't you think about me for once?" snapped Tiberius, "This could be our big break! And you're going to mess it up for us all over a little stage fright."

"Can't you find a different singer?" suggested Ellie.

"Don't take his side!" said Tiberius, "It's not even his side! He's deliberately undermining himself! He's a great singer and he loves it but he's tying himself in knots trying to avoid embarrassing himself on stage again. You were six, Phineas! Everyone's forgotten it except for you."

Ellie thought that six years old was the perfect age to develop a phobia, and she couldn't blame Phineas for being afraid, but she hoped he could overcome it. Ellie had listened to the recording. Phineas really was very good, and she didn't think that anyone could put that much emotion into it while also hating it.

"Mum knows lots of singers," said Phineas, "she could find you someone better."

"I don't want someone better. I want you!" said Tiberius. "And more to the point, the Weird Sisters want you. Come on, these are our songs. My music, your lyrics. Didn't we have fun recording together?"

"That was in a studio, not live," said Phineas, "And you practically forced me into it."

"But once I forced you, it was fun, right?" said Tiberius hopefully, "Cousin knows best, right?"

"That's not a saying," said Phineas, "and yeah, I had fun, but you aren't talking about some little tea shop gig, cuz. This isn't a cozy little show for our nearest and dearest friends. This is a Weird Sisters World Tour."

Tiberius could sense that Phineas was giving ground, and he jumped on the chance. "Why don't we do an intimate little show first, then? Give it a go? Just an audience of, oh, let's say, 30 people? And if you throw up on stage, I promise not to bug you about it anymore. Deal?"

Whether or not Phineas wanted to agree with the deal, Tiberius shook his hand emphatically, and immediately left the common room, presumably to make plans for the upcoming concert.

"I didn't agree to this," said Phineas, "You all saw me not agree to this, right?"

Yuki shrugged and said, "Worst case scenario, they plan a concert, you throw up or don't show, and Ben takes over vocals. Not a bad little diversion, as long as it's over before we need to get into any really serious studying. But best case scenario…"

"Best case scenario, it goes really well," said Ellie, "You discover your love of performing, you open for the Weird Sisters on their World Tour, and you become world famous."

Phineas shook his head, "We're not going to be world famous after one tour. That sort of thing doesn't happen overnight."

Ellie and Yuki exchanged a look. He had definitely just referred to Tin Man as "we." Perhaps he was not so resistant to the idea as he claimed to be.

For the next week, Phineas kept showing up at their rehearsals, seemingly on a whim, but then sticking around and practicing hard. He was approaching the whole thing sideways, trying not to get excited or psych himself out, while still getting prepared. Ellie didn't delve too deep into the mental gymnastics involved. If that's what it took for him to become Tin Man's lead singer, then she wasn't going to question it.

The rest of the school was very amped up for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, but Ellie couldn't find it in her to really care. After Harry performed so well in the first task, her fears about his safety were greatly reduced. Instead, she became overly invested in the success of Tin Man, despite having no personal stake in it. She liked to think of herself as their first groupie.

During the task itself, they spent over an hour sitting by the cold lake, just waiting for the champions to resurface. Phineas, Yuki, and Ellie used this time to brainstorm possible locations for the show.

"What about your usual classroom, Ellie?" said Yuki, "we could put an undetectable extension charm on it or something."

"That wouldn't work anymore," said Ellie, "I took over the room for my independent study."

"By took over, do you mean filled with dangerous plants?" said Phineas.

"Er, kind of…" said Ellie, "I'm turning it into a self-sustaining micro-forest. Trees, dirt, fake sun, moon, stars… everything a magical forest could need."

"So you're terraforming a classroom?" said Phineas.

Ellie vaguely recognized that as one of the science fiction ideas Phineas was obsessed with. "Sure, I guess. It's a pretty complex system. It'll be really cool when it's done. Mostly it just smells like fertilizer right now, though."

"What happened to your other project?" asked Yuki, "The one about creating a new kind of magical plant?"

"Finished!" said Ellie proudly. "I'd explain it to you now, but it would take all day. You could read my paper about it, though. It's being published in  _ Modern Herbology _ next month."

"Wow, check you out," said Phineas. "A published author. I'm a little hurt you got there before me, but whatever."

"Hey, look!" said Yuki, "Someone's coming up from the lake!"

"I think it's Delacour!" said Ellie, catching a flash of blonde hair. The cheers died awkwardly as the crowd realized she hadn't successfully completed the task. She was screaming and begging to be allowed back in the lake, but the judges were insisting that she couldn't re-enter the competition. Somewhere down there, her sister was still a hostage, and she was crying, loudly and furiously, unable to do anything about it.

Ellie wondered if she would be brave enough to dive into the lake to rescue her own little brother, not that he needed it. He was the champion, after all. If Ellie had told Harry that she was his sister, maybe she would be at the bottom of the lake right now, awaiting rescue. If not for the wizarding war that divided them, she could have been his most precious person. But Harry Potter didn't even know her name.

It made her a little sad, but Snape was right to keep it secret. Being close to Harry Potter would just get her dumped in a fathoms-deep lake, or worse. Better to be watching his life from the stands.

When Harry was the last one remaining, Ellie began to fear that there was something to worry about after all. Someone out there wanted him dead, and they could have done it already. He could come floating up to the surface any minute now, the whole crowd watching his lifeless body bobbing in the water…

But he was fine. He returned a few minutes later with not only his own best friend, but Delacour's little sister as well. And he was awarded with far more points than he'd technically earned.

"That nobility is going to get him killed someday," said Ellie, absentmindedly.

"Not today, though," said Yuki. "Today it just makes him a hero."

Tiberius somehow managed to turn their cozy little friends-only show into a glamorous exclusive event. Each of the four band members got seven tickets to give to anyone they wanted to invite. And once word got out about it, everyone wanted one. 

Ellie suspected that this was largely a tactic to generate interest in their new album. Despite the earlier claims that they were just demo tracks for The Weird Sisters, Ben showed up one evening with a hundred copies, complete with album art that definitely wasn't made on a whim. They started taking pre-orders from people who weren't lucky enough to get a golden ticket, but refused to release them until after the show.

The issue of a location was finally resolved when the next Hogsmeade weekend was announced. Cat found this cool location to rent for the day, within the village but well off the beaten track. It elevated their performance to a whole new level.

When Ellie arrived to help them set up, she was blown away. Underneath this tiny unassuming cottage was a huge acoustically rich, but unfinished, basement. Apparently, it used to be used by an illicit high-stakes dueling club in the 60's, but it got shut down after some bodies turned up.

Everyone in the band was of age, so they had no problem constructing a stage and summoning the sort of floating stage lights that Ellie had seen them use at the Flint's Christmas party. Ellie sort of liked the ominous torch-lit ambiance, but Tiberius had a theory that Phineas would be more comfortable if he couldn't see the audience, so they opted for the blinding spotlights instead.

People began to arrive around 2 PM. It was sunny and clear outside, but it was black as night down in the basement. Ellie's job was to wait by the door and check people off on the guest list. The list was mostly Slytherins, of course, but there were a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs there at Cat's bequest as well. A few third year Slytherins showed up with excellent counterfeit tickets, and Ellie rather enjoyed turning them away. Sorry kids, VIPs only! You're not on the list!

Phineas had invited Sasha and Andrei as well. Yuki had been studiously ignoring her Yule ball date for two months, but Sasha didn't want to come on her own, so Phineas parted with one of his precious tickets and allowed Andrei to come as well. Strictly speaking, the Durmstrang students were not allowed to take part in Hogsmeade weekends. They were supposed to stay on the Hogwarts Grounds at all times, per international agreements.

But Sasha wanted to come, and nothing was going to get in her way. In exchange for information on one of the secret tunnels out of Hogwarts, Phineas gave Lee Jordan a ticket. Ellie wasn't sure why he wanted to come, since they'd never really been friends, but he showed up with the two Durmstrang students promptly and Ellie checked him off the list. Maybe he just really liked music. Or maybe he liked Sasha too.

The last two people on the list to arrive were Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang, who had been invited by Cat. It was a little strange to see Diggory in this new setting. They didn't have many classes in common this year, and she'd gotten used to thinking of him as The Hogwarts Champion, up on his pedestal. But he greeted her kindly and stopped to chat for a little while at the door. Chang seemed nice too, although Ellie had never spoken to her before.

"I'm excited for the show," said Diggory, "I've always been a big fan of The Weird Sisters, and if they approve of Tin Man then it must be really good. Have you heard them play?"

"Oh, yeah, in rehearsals and on their album," said Ellie. "But this is their first real live show, so I'll be as surprised as you are, probably."

"You're lucky that you're dating one of the members," said Chang, "I had to beg Cat for days before she let me bring Cedric along."

"Oh, I actually got my ticket from Phineas," said Ellie, "he's one of my best friends."

"He's the vocalist, right?" said Cedric, "What do the others do?"

"Cat's the drummer," provided Chang.

"Ben's guitar and backup vocals," said Ellie. Ordinarily backup vocals meant singing quietly and harmonizing with the lead vocalist, but in this case it meant taking over in case of unexpected nausea and/or fainting. She didn't feel like explaining that though. "And Tiberius does everything else. Bass, piano, saxophone, trumpet, cello… whatever they need, really."

"What, all of them at once?" asked Cedric.

"You'll see," said Ellie mysteriously. Wizard concerts had certain qualities that muggle ones lacked, like the ability to play three instruments at once. But she wouldn't want to deprive anyone of the chance of seeing Tiberius do it for the first time. The surprise was half the fun.

"Anyway, we'd better find our seats," said Chang. "It'll be starting soon."

"Right," said Ellie, checking her list one more time, "That's everyone. I should close the doors…"

She was about to close them, when a group of people stepped inside. They looked different in their plain robes, but there was no mistaking them. Five of the eight weird sisters were right there in front of her. Unsure of what to do, she said, "Er… you're not on the list."

The Weird Sisters bassist laughed good-naturedly and said, "Tiberius invited us. Told us to show up at the last minute, so we wouldn't frighten their timid singer. Are you going to turn us away?"

"No!" said Ellie quickly, "Of course not. Please, come in. I'll put you in the back where Phineas won't see you."

The lights were already dimming when they got down to the basement, and they all filed into the back row. Thankfully, everyone's attention was turned to the stage, and nobody noticed the world's most famous wizard rock band walk into the room. Ellie found herself seated between the Weird Sisters bassist and Cedric Diggory, Triwizard champion. She felt very small.

Her nervousness was short-lived. The moment Tiberius took the stage, he commanded everyone's full attention, and Ellie felt nothing but excitement.

"Welcome, friends," said Tiberius, his voice filling the room, "to the world debut of Tin Man!"

Everyone cheered and whooped. The audience was small, but the acoustics of the room, both magical and mundane, magnified the sound and made one cheer feel like a dozen. It felt like a world debut.

"Presenting, Catherine Fawley!" said Tiberius, with more accompanying applause. Catherine apperated behind her drumset with a loud crack, sticks already in hand, and played a cascading drum riff, barely audible over the audience.

"Benjamin Smith!" cried Tiberius. Similarly, Ben apperated into position and played a chord.

"Phineas Prewett!" said Tiberius. Phineas, who hadn't passed his apparation test yet, rose up through a hole in the stage. Ellie wasn't sure when they'd rigged that up, but the effect was good.

Phineas took the handheld microphone from the stand (just for the look of it, since all the magic involved in their performance rendered an actual microphone pretty much useless) and held it up. For a moment, Ellie thought he might not be able to do it, but he smoothly gestured to his cousin and concluded, "And Tiberius Flint!"

On this cue, Tiberius pointed his wand at his menagerie of instruments to bring them to life and immediately launched into their first song.

They played every song in their repertoire, straight through. Happy, sad, upbeat, and melancholy, one after the other. Ellie could see Phineas's confidence growing as the set progressed. He must have been nervous, but he was enjoying himself too. Tiberius cycled through different instruments as the need arose, sometimes playing by hand, and sometimes just conducting. 

It was quite the spectacle, and Ellie thoroughly enjoyed herself. She especially liked seeing Diggory's reactions to the songs. Ellie and The Weird Sisters had heard them all before, but for most of the audience every sound was a surprise, and Diggory didn't hesitate to show every emotion on his face. He even got a little teary eyed when Tin Man played the song that Tiberius had written about his mother's recent death. Ellie had full-out bawled the first time she had heard it, but given this semi-public performance, she thought that teary eyes were a sufficient response.

Ellie had always thought of Diggory as cool and reserved, sort of above-it-all, but she wondered now if she had misjudged him. It's amazing that they had been classmates for six years and she still knew hardly anything about him.

When the last song ended, all the band members bowed and waved in acknowledgement of their standing ovation. Then Tiberius waved his wand to light the torches and extinguish the stage lights. They all hopped off the stage, right into the audience, and started shaking hands and connecting with friends. The illusion of the grand performance was broken, and the room suddenly felt like the intimate engagement that Phineas had been promised.

There was a bit of a stir when some of the audience noticed the Weird Sisters sitting in the back, but they had the good sense to not mob the celebrities, and still focus on congratulating Tin Man on their first show. The whole thing devolved into a sort of party atmosphere, with people breaking off into groups to discuss the show, but no one heading for the door just yet.

Ellie played host with the Weird Sisters while she waited for the Tin Man members to make their way to the back of the room, through the milling crowd. Cedric introduced himself and Cho as casually as he could, and the Weird Sisters had the distinct air of being awed by a celebrity as well. She supposed that Cedric was as famous as the Weird Sisters now, though perhaps not yet as famous as Harry Potter, the other Hogwarts Champion.

Tiberius was the first to make it all the way to the back of the crowd. "Heathcote! Gidean! Kirley! Myron! Donny boy! Good to see you!" he said, shaking their hands in turn. Ellie wasn't sure when Tiberius had reached the level of acquaintanceship where he could call Donaghan Tremlett, bassist of the world's most popular wizard rock band, "donny boy," but she was sure that more correspondence had passed between them than he had initially let on. She wouldn't be surprised if a contract popped up, already negotiated and ready to sign.

"Congratulations on your first show, Tiberius," said Donaghan 'Donny Boy' Tremlett. "You're quite the showman. That bit with the cello and the harmonica - genius!"

"That means so much, coming from you," said Tiberius earnestly, "I've been working on some new music as well. I can't wait for you to hear it."

"When you're done with Hogwarts, you can come jam with us," said Myron, "we'd love to have you."

Tiberius grinned and said, "I'll get my cousin. He won't believe you've said that unless he hears it himself. Come on, Ellie. Let's extract Phineas from the clutches of his Russian mistress."

Tiberius casually put his arm around Ellie's shoulders and steered her away from The Weird Sisters. "So what did you think?" he asked.

"You were brilliant!" said Ellie, "How'd it feel? Performing in front of an audience?"

"Amazing!" said Tiberius, "I'm ready for a big crowd. I hope Phineas is up to it. This was pretty much our audition, and it seems like we passed. We're going on tour."

"That's great!" said Ellie, "when do you leave?"

"I think we can go home for a day or two at the end of the year, but that's it. We'll be gone for all of July and August. Hey Phineas! The Weird Sisters want to talk to you."

Phineas broke off his conversation with Sasha and Lee Jordan and scowled, saying, "You didn't tell me they were coming. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Didn't want to scare you off," said Tiberius, "but don't worry about that. They loved you. Now come on, we've got to talk business. Ellie, can you ask people to leave? We've got to have the place cleared out in 30 minutes and we still have to break down the stage."

"Alright," said Ellie, "but next time you have to pay me. Or get a real manager to do this stuff. Isn't your aunt a legit music manager?"

"We're not hiring my mum," said Phineas, "so don't even think about it."

"Why not?" said Tiberius, "Aunt Sue is a great manager! We'd be lucky to have her."

"She's my mother!" said Phineas. "I'm not having my mum trailing after me for the rest of my life, telling me what to do."

"The rest of your life, huh?" said Tiberius, "glad to see you're taking this seriously. Come on, can't keep them waiting! They must be bored to death talking to Diggory."

While Tin Man conversed with the Weird Sisters, Ellie went around asking people to leave. She picked up her clipboard with the list, just to look more official. It was amazing how much authority was generated by a clipboard. Slowly, the room cleared out, and Ellie found herself alone, except for the musicians chatting on the stage. Not wanting to interrupt, she let herself out.

The sun was blinding. She'd almost forgotten that it was still afternoon. The sun was definitely getting low in the sky, but it was still jarring after the dusky basement. She wound her way back to the main street of Hogsmeade on her own.

It was a little lonely. She'd put a lot of work into this concert, but it wasn't really her accomplishment. Whatever negotiations were going on in that basement had nothing to do with her. Management was definitely not a career she wanted to pursue. Where was the glory in holding a clipboard? 

She stopped into a little bookstore, not as well-stocked as Flourish and Blotts, but still fairly up-to-date. Gilderoy Lockhart's smile gleamed from the cover of a book in the window. Even fallen from grace and locked in a looney bin, he was a bestseller. She looked around for the shopkeeper, to ask them a question, but there was no one around. The room was completely empty. Ellie found the rack of recent magazines and periodicals on her own, and searched for  _ Modern Herbology. _

There it was, in the back, hidden behind a number of other academic journals that were far from popular. But her name was on the cover. This was her accomplishment. Somewhat guiltily she remembered the work she had put on hold to prepare for the Tin Man show. She couldn't let herself do that again. This is the work that really mattered. She didn't have the featured article, but she had time. Her classroom forest project would make a pretty cover when it was finished, she thought.

The bell on the door tinkled merrily when it opened, and Ellie turned to look curiously. Dumbledore strolled in and picked up some volume on display at the front desk before noticing Ellie. "Ah, Nihil," he said. "It has been a while since we last spoke, has it not? I trust your studies are going well?"

"Yes, sir," said Ellie, holding up  _ Modern Herbology _ for the headmaster to see, "This is my first publication. I've been meaning to thank you for giving me so much room to work. First the greenhouse, then the first floor classroom. I really appreciate it."

"Hm? I was under the impression that you had been using that room for quite some time before permission was granted."

Ellie blushed a little. She had started using the room when she was regularly sneaking out after hours to make wands in her second year, and she'd continued to use it as her private workshop through all of her studies with Lionel Ollivander. When she requested Professor Sprout's help for the classroom forrest project, though, she'd been forced to formalize the situation. Dumbledore seemed to know everything that went on about the castle, but when he hadn't mentioned this earlier, she thought it might have slipped his notice.

"No matter," said Dumbledore kindly, "Hogwarts has so many empty rooms. It's good to see them getting some use. You may have found your calling in this Herbology work, Nihil. I read your article, and was very impressed. Your grasp of magical theory may even exceed my own knowledge."

Ellie laughed, thinking this a joke, but Dumbledore didn't correct himself. "Surely not," said Ellie, "You've read as much as I have on the topic, and I've read your research as well."

"Perhaps we are evenly matched on this topic," said Dumbledore, "but do not make the mistake of thinking that I am the most accomplished wizard in every discipline."

Ellie found that hard to believe. Was there any wizard anywhere who could match Dumbledore in anything? Not Grindelwald. Not Voldemort.

"This is not false humility, Ellie," said Dumbledore. "I know when I am outperformed. Take occlumency, for example…"

Ellie flinched. She'd gotten used to protecting her mind at all times, just for practice, but she suddenly realized that something was trying to break through that wall. It must have been going on for some time, without her noticing. Now that she was consciously aware of it, she could feel the foreign presence. It was different than Snape's simulated attacks. It had its own taste to it. She pushed back against the force, and it dissipated, like mist in a stiff morning breeze.

"You had a good teacher," said Dumbledore, "better than me, I believe."

Snape's occlumency lessons were supposed to be a secret, even from Dumbledore, and she wasn't sure how to respond. The truth of her birth was supposed to be hidden from the headmaster, and she realized now that her training was as much to protect her from Dumbledore as Voldemort. She hadn't realized that the headmaster could use legilimency so casually. It was a massive betrayal of trust, to delve into another person's mind without permission, and here he was, attempting it in the open like he was above such moral quandaries. What was he trying to steal from her mind, she wondered.

Perhaps sensing this question, Dumbledore continued, "I also believe that at this point you know more of wandlore than I do. Would you allow me to ask some questions, to sate my curiosity?"

"Er, well, they're supposed to be secrets," said Ellie. She had no doubt that she knew more about wandlore than was written in any book, because the secrets were passed from master to apprentice by word of mouth, and traditionally never written down. She'd also spent an entire year piecing together historical anecdotes of notable wand behaviors in an attempt to form some cohesive theory. Ollivander had forbidden her form publishing her notes.

"I wouldn't want to steal any hard-earned trade secrets, of course," said Dumbledore, "but perhaps some of your own research, hm?"

Ellie had a hard time saying no to the professor. "Maybe… what do you want to know?"

"I'm rather curious about wand ownership," said Dumbledore, "not so much the choosing, which is frightfully complicated I understand, but the taking. The earning and losing of wands."

"Oh, well there's actually a lot of general knowledge about that," said Ellie, "due to the popularity of duelling. A lot of personal duels have resulted in wizards losing their wands' allegiance. Sometimes, with time, they can earn it back, but it's never quite the same. Basically, if a wand is defeated it will become loyal to the one who defeated it. It can get a little complicated, sometimes. Some wands are very loyal to their original owner and can never really be taken. Some can be lost, but they won't work well for the one who rightfully took it either. They just stubbornly refuse to work for anyone. But 9 out of 10 times, a good disarming will earn a wand's favor."

"I see," said Dumbledore, "Can you tell me more about the exceptions? How do you maintain possession of your wand?"

"Well wands are pretty clever," said Ellie, "they know when they've really been beaten. When we learned expelliarmus in class, no one lost their wand. They can sort of tell when it's practice, you know? And there's also the matter of time. Sometimes if a dueller is disarmed, they can just pick their wand back up again a few minutes later and be fine. But a few days of separation can make a big difference. It depends on the temperment of the wand, of course."

Ellie said that she didn't want to reveal anything, but Dumbledore was nodding encouragingly and she couldn't resist showing off a little bit.

"There was this famous duel in 1723," said Ellie, "between Artem Relden and Kirk Welder. They'd been rivals for years, and they finally decided to settle their differences in an official duel. About a hundred people gathered to watch and place their bets. It was an incredible duel, legendary. Neither one uttered a single word the entire time, and performed spells that no one else had ever even heard of. They were perfectly matched. But 10 minutes in, Kirk seemed to get tired. He let his guard down, and was defeated with a simple disarming spell, quickly followed by a well-aimed stun. Artem refused the gold that Kirk had offered up as his stake. Artem only wanted Kirk's wand.

"After that, Kirk disappeared. Bought a new wand for a good high price, then disappeared off the map. Artem was on top of the world, bragging about his victory all over the place. But no matter what he did, he couldn't get Kirk's wand to work for him. He was incredibly frustrated by this. He started asking around, seeing why the wand wasn't doing what he wanted. He'd fought so hard for it, but his prize was spoiled. Do you know what happened next?"

"No," said Dumbledore, "but do tell."

"Artem tracked down Kirk. Found him living with his wife in a cozy little house by the sea, rolling in gold. It turned out that Kirk had bet against himself in their duel, taken his ill-got winnings, and retired. He'd thrown the match. Kirk deliberately let Artem defeat him. But the thing is, Kirk's wand didn't recognize that as a victory. As far as the wand was concerned, Kirk had won. So Artem couldn't claim ownership, no matter how long he was in possession of it."

"Fascinating," said Dumbledore, "So the only way to keep your wand in a duel is to surrender? A wand must be forcibly taken to be won?"

"Not quite," said Ellie, "surrendering when you are already at the brink of defeat is a loss. You have to lose as purposefully as you would have won. There's an element of control involved. It's called Kirk's Law. You can find it in some old duelling books as a method of determining true victors. But there's another way to keep your wand in a duel."

"Oh?" said Dumbledore.

"When Artem came for his rival, Kirk just laughed and offered to split the winnings in exchange for his silence. 'You can keep your victory and my gold,' he said, 'but you'll never have my wand.' Artem was furious. He didn't want a victory in name only. He wanted to defeat his enemy, utterly and entirely. He attacked, this time with real anger. Sometime during the fight, Kirk got his old wand back. Reunited with its master, it rejoiced, channeling more power than Kirk had ever wielded before. But Artem rose to the challenge. He was determined now to have this wand for himself.

"Perhaps Kirk knew he was going to lose. Maybe he was just tired of fighting. Maybe he had more problems than history lets on. But when victory seemed out of his grasp, he turned his wand on himself and committed suicide, mid-duel. Even in defeat, he denied Artem all the sweetness of victory."

"And the wand?" asked Dumbledore.

"Remained Kirk's," said Ellie, "So that's how you keep your wand in a duel. You die undefeated. It isn't as easy as it sounds, though. Wands are very sentimental. They are loathe to turn on their brothers, let alone their masters. There was some speculation that it wasn't a suicide at all, but rather the wife who killed him, knowing that he would rather die than lose. Either way, it is a fact that the wand knew no other master after Kirk, including the wife who tried to claim it."

"An excellent story, Ellie," said Dumbledore, "Your years of study have not been wasted, I see. But you've indulged an old man's curiosity long enough, I think! If you hurry, you may be able to stop into Honeydukes before they close."


	6. The Third Task

The Tin Man premiere was a huge success, and generated a lot of interest in the band. Phineas found himself to be the center of attention for the first time in his life, and he was loving it. He was almost like a celebrity in Slytherin now, or at the very least popular. Younger students who would have never looked at him twice were now following him around and asking him to sign things.

Ellie considered being jealous, but she couldn't really find it in herself. She'd never resented Yuki for all of her academic success, and she wouldn't resent Phineas for his musical success. They all had their own things to be proud of, even if Ellie's accomplishments were only ever acknowledged by teachers and aging intellectuals. Her relationship with Tiberius, however, took a big hit.

"Are you and Tiberius still together?" asked Yuki one night as they were getting ready for bed.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," said Ellie. "We were never that clear about it to begin with. I mean, it  _ felt _ like we were dating, but neither of us really said the words, you know?"

"Ok, new question," said Yuki, "do you want to be with him?"

Ellie considered this carefully. This is a question she should have asked herself months ago, but they fell into things so naturally that she hadn't bothered taking the time to decide. "Well I know I don't want to be with him after he graduates… I think that in-person communication is pretty essential for a teenage romance."

"Are you, er… communicating now?" asked Yuki.

"That wasn't a euphemism, Yuki," said Ellie, "but no, I haven't seen him all week. He's been too busy with band stuff and studying for his NEWTs."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I guess we should break up, right? Make it official?" said Ellie carefully. The thought of it didn't make her particularly upset. She guessed that was a good sign she was making the right choice.

"I can't believe you're going to dump Tiberius right before he gets famous."

Ellie shrugged and said, "If he doesn't want to get dumped then he should try actually talking to me. Not that I blame him. He's got other priorities right now."

"You're so nonchalant. Aren't you sad? Or angry?"

"Not really. I've never broken up with someone before. I don't know how it's supposed to feel. At first everything with Tiberius was all bubbly and exciting… but I think I'm kind of over it now."

"I know that feeling," said Yuki.

Ellie raised an eyebrow and said, "Did you date and dump someone when I wasn't paying attention?"

"No, but I got over Angelina. Now I can't even remember what I liked about her."

"Oh," said Ellie, "I guess that's probably for the best. Maybe you can have a more realistic crush now. Have you found any redeeming qualities in Bulstrode?"

"Yuck," said Yuki, "That is never going to happen. Realistic crushes are for straight people. If I'm going to be stuck in one-sided loves forever, I'm going to dream big."

"Who's your big dream, then?"

"Cho Chang," said Yuki with a sigh.

"You're joking!" said Ellie, "She's dating Cedric Diggory!"

"Not forever, though," said Yuki, "I can dream. Who's your next regrettable and embarrassing crush?"

"Nobody," said Ellie, "I've got bigger things to think about."

"I bet Tiberius will be really pleased to hear that you're dumping him for a Magical Theory research grant."

"I think that would be easier for him to hear than, oh, I don't know, dumping him for Cedric Diggory."

"Ooh, you should do that!" said Yuki eagerly. "Let's break them up! You go for Diggory, and I'll take Cho."

Ellie laughed and said, "I'll think about it. Give me a chance to talk to Tiberius first, though."

Breaking up with Tiberius was remarkably easy. He apologized for being distant, but acknowledged that he needed to focus on school and his career at the moment, and didn't have time for a serious girlfriend. They promised to stay friends, and Ellie actually believed it. Things would be different without Tiberius and Ben at Hogwarts, but she'd acclimate. And they'd keep in touch, at least through Phineas. Their success was imminent, and so was hers. She felt light and free and hopeful. 

In a way, breaking up with Tiberius felt even better than starting whatever it is that they'd started. Their relationship landed exactly where it was supposed to - at a deep and meaningful friendship. The dating was just a way to accelerate that process a bit.

She tried not to think about Yuki's suggestion to break up Cedric and Cho, but the thought kept creeping up on her. After the concert, Cedric and Cho seemed to think of her as a friend, or at least a friendly acquaintance. Cho waved at her in the hall, and Cedric talked to her in class. She hardly talked to anyone outside of Slytherin, so it was a little odd to be finally bridging that gap after nearly six years at Hogwarts.

March turned to April, and April turned to May, and Ellie found a new equilibrium. It involved a lot less time with Phineas, Tiberius, and Ben, but she still had Yuki. Andrei seemed to have finally gotten the message that Yuki was never going to like him, so he moved on to some other Slytherin girl, trying to make the most of his short time left at Hogwarts. Unfortunately for Phineas, that also meant that Sasha was less interested in hanging out with their group, even with his newfound fame.

Ellie was glad to be a sixth year. NEWT level classes were tough, but they were nothing compared to the stress that the 5th and 7th years were going through, preparing for exams. The first week of June was sunny and pleasant, and she and Yuki spent every free moment they could out on the grounds. The only 6th year who couldn't relax was Cedric Diggory, who was preparing for the Third Task. Ellie felt a little bad that he couldn't enjoy the nice weather, and she offered words of encouragement whenever she could.

For the most part, she didn't care who won the Triwizard Tournament, but seeing how much Cedric was putting into it, she thought he had a good chance. But she thought that Harry had a good chance as well. She'd initially thought that someone had entered him into the tournament to hurt him, but if that was the case then they weren't very good at it. Snape refused to tell Ellie any of his theories, so Ellie did her own brainstorming. Her latest theory was that Rita Skeeter, the daily prophet reporter, had put his name in the cup in order to sell more newspapers. No one outside Hogwarts cared about Cedric, the Champion. Only Harry Potter.

She couldn't ignore that Snape was getting more worried by the day, though. He seemed oddly distracted in class, sometimes forgetting to yell at anyone for the entire lesson. He also put a stop to their occlumency practice, saying that Ellie was good enough. Privately, Ellie thought it had more to do with the fact that he was exhausted, all the time. Whenever she asked about it, though, he just said that he was doing work for Dumbledore most nights, and he didn't want Ellie involved.

The dark mark was nearly as clear now as it had been in the old days. Snape checked on it daily, but the change seemed to have stopped. It wasn't getting any clearer. This worried Snape more than the slow change over the last year or so. Whatever the Dark Lord was doing to regain his strength, it had worked.

Karkaroff noticed as well. He looked poised to flee at the smallest provocation. Dumbledore considered recruiting him, offering him protection in exchange for information or espionage, but Snape insisted that Karkaroff had nothing of value to trade. He could only be a liability. In a way, it was sad. Karkaroff had at one point been a friend, coward though he was. Snape felt that he should do something to save the man's life, but there was nothing to do. He felt less guilty about this when he remembered that Karkaroff had been all too happy to turn Snape in to the ministry after being caught. You could not trust a coward.

Dumbledore was setting up the pieces. The Order of the Phoenix was being formed again, quietly, unnoticed by the wider world. Snape was prepared. He had his stories, his alibis, laid out and practiced. He even had carefully staged scenes in his memory to back up his claims. He mined his anger towards Harry Potter, his muggle father, and all the fools who had ever laughed at him, and kept it in reserve for when he would need those emotions to play his part convincingly.

Snape knew that Voldemort must be behind the disappearance of Barty Crouch, but there was nothing for him to do. Dumbledore had instructed him to wait, and to inform Dumbledore immediately if the Dark Mark burned. It was frustrating to see everyone going about their normal lives while he waited impatiently for the other shoe to drop.

On the last Sunday before final exams, Ellie asked about Voldemort directly. Snape had thought she was safely embroiled in her own low-stakes difficulties, but she was still clearly aware of the larger picture. Bands and boyfriends and academic pursuits were not enough to distract her.

"How much time do we have?" she asked seriously.

In reply, Snape rolled up his sleeve and showed Ellie his Dark Mark. "He could come out of the shadows any day now," said Snape, "or he could wait years to play his hand. There is no way to know. But this mark proves that he has a hand to play."

The last week went by quickly. As soon as one exam finished, he would begin grading, then sleep a little and move on to the next day's exams. As always, he was disappointed in nearly everyone's performance. There were few who truly understood the theory behind their potions.

On the last day of exams, Snape rushed through the papers as quickly as he could, sneaking frequent glances at the clock. The Third Task would be starting soon, and he didn't want to miss it. By the time he arrived at the Maze, everyone was seated and the Champions were about to enter. Snape sat down discreetly at the end of a row next to Professor Vector and waited for the event to begin.

There was much cheering and hurrahing when each of the Champions set off. Snape brought his hands together a few times, but his heart wasn't in it. He was just ready for the school year to be over. He scanned the crowd of students and found Ellie sitting with her other Slytherin friends in the front row. She seemed to clap as enthusiastically for Potter as she did for Diggory, somewhat embarrassing her Slytherin friends.

Once all of the Champions were in the maze, the crowd settled down for a long wait. The only people outside the maze who had anything to do were the teachers patrolling the perimeter, a group that Snape was thankfully excluded from. Conversations picked up throughout the audience, and Snape sat for a while, just listening to the constant buzz of the crowd, vaguely watching Ellie and her friends animatedly talking about something or other.

Snape half listened to the other professors chatting happily, as excited about the end of term as the students were. Two rows below him, the judges sat, alternating between conversation and silently staring at the maze. After a long time with no activity at all, some red sparks went up, and the crowd turned its attention to the maze again. When Krum was carried out, unconscious, the entire Durmstrang delegation groaned in defeat and all the Hogwarts students cheered. One contestant down.

The tension in the crowd grew. 10 minutes passed, then 10 more, and there was no more news from inside the maze. Even with all the obstacles, someone must have reached the center by then. Some of the teachers began speculating that all the remaining contestants were in there somewhere, incapacitated to the point where they could not call for help. Snape found this highly unlikely, with Moody keeping an eye on the situation. He was about to tell Vector this, to alleviate her fear, when the Dark Mark burned.

The pain was sharp and insistent. He hadn't felt the sensation in many years, but he didn't need to look at his arm now to know that the mark was inky black and alive. Voldemort was back, and he was calling for his servants. The mark pulled at his nerves, commanding him to apparate, and guiding him to his destination. If not for the protections around Hogwarts preventing apparition, he might have obeyed, conditioned as he was to respond to that particular pain.

Down among the judges, Karkaroff was feeling it too. The Durmstrang headmaster had stood up, and the others seemed to be asking him to take his seat again. Perhaps they thought that he was storming off now that Durmstrang had no chance of victory. Karkaroff briefly looked to Snape. The fear was apparent on his face, and there was some pleading in his eyes.  _ It's not too late, _ they seemed to say.  _ We could still run away together. _

Snape did not give himself away so easily. Except for a small involuntary flinch when the mark first burned, he showed nothing on his face. Locking eyes with Karkaroff, he shook his head just a fraction of an inch. Snape was no coward. He was not running from this.

Karkaroff shook off the judges and moved to leave. Some of his students stood to follow him, but he waved them off as well. He strode quickly from the scene, toward the gates or the castle or his ship, Snape did not know. He would need to get outside the grounds of course. And then he would apparate to some safe location he had no doubt prepared. And then he would run, for the rest of his life.

Snape pushed the thought from his mind. They were on to the next stage of things. Snape took a moment to gather his thoughts and his will. Already, the burning on his arm was fading. The other Death Eaters must have already arrived. The urge to check the mark was overwhelming, but he couldn't risk it in this crowd. No, what he needed to do was inform Dumbledore, immediately.

The headmaster was drawing many eyes at the moment, with the restless crowd most interested in Karkaroff's hasty departure. Snape stood and casually made his way down to Dumbledore's chair. The Headmaster leaned forward and Snape bent down to whisper in his ear, "I have been called."

Dumbledore did not seem concerned by this news. He had likely guessed this already from Karkaroff's sudden flight. Still, it was Snape's job to inform him, and had to fulfill this duty. Dumbledore indicated that Snape could return to his seat. He supposed that he would be asked to heed Voldemort's call eventually, but the timing wasn't right. All he could do was sit and wait.

So Snape sat and waited. More time passed, but still no Champions emerged from the maze in either victory or defeat. Snape sat stiffly, waiting, waiting, impatiently for something to happen. Slowly, he realized that he was afraid.

Ellie was sitting in the front row still, laughing at a joke. Everyone around him was smiling or yawning or otherwise displaying emotions that were completely unrelated to what he was going through at the moment. They were all so innocent, every one. And their safety, their very lives depended on Snape's ability to play the double agent convincingly.

He was afraid, but he wasn't a coward. He would not run from this. He owed it to Lily, and both of her children.

Ellie was getting pretty bored of waiting for the task to end, but Phineas was doing his best to entertain them all.

"No, I swear it's true!" said Phineas, "During my Transfiguration OWL I managed to turn it into a whole flock of flamingos! It was an accident, of course, but they were still very impressed…"

Ellie laughed and said, "Well that's loads better than me! I just made it sort of pink and feathery. Couldn't even get it to be bird-shaped."

"Yuki did it perfectly I bet," said Phineas.

Yuki started to reply, but she was interrupted by the sudden end of the Triwizard Tournament. Someone had just materialized into the winner's circle and a cheer went up from the crowd. But there was something wrong. There were two of them, and they were both lying on the ground.

Ellie was the first to scream.

Cedric's head rolled to face the crowd, open-mouthed and glassy-eyed. He was pale, far too pale, and his arm was bent strangely. There were any number of spells that could render someone unconscious or unable to move, but they didn't look like this. Ellie had never seen it before, but she was sure she was looking at death.

And then chaos reigned. The news spread through the crowd, as whispers then as shouts. Cedric Diggory, Triwizard Champion, friend and student, was dead. Stunned, Ellie allowed herself to be buffeted by the crowd. She didn't want to get any closer. Her first look was enough. Amid the shouts and panic, the teachers tried to maintain order, but the press of the crowd was unrelenting.

Ellie looked around desperately for Snape. He would know what to do. Ellie started pushing her way through the crowd to find him. He was there at the front, creating a barrier between the students and Cedric. Ellie shoved someone out of the way and tugged at the sleeve of Snape's robe, feeling like a child again. "What do we do?" asked Ellie.

"Go back to your dorm," said Snape firmly. Then more loudly, "All of you, back to your dorms! Follow your prefects! Stay together!"

The prefects began to call out, "Slytherins over here! Hufflepuffs with me!" and the crowd began to back off. It took some time, but eventually they were corralled into groups and on their way up to the castle. Adults were still buzzing around the body, organizing a search for Fleur who was still somewhere in the maze. The Durmstrang delegation was hovering anxiously at the edge, unsure where their headmaster had gone. Ellie heard Snape ordering them to return to their ship, but then she was swept away with the crowd.

It felt like she was floating away. How could Cedric been dead? She'd talked to him this morning, she'd wished him luck… Yuki was holding her hand, though, pulling her forward. 

Yuki only let go when they reached the common room. It was more packed that she had ever seen it. Everyone was in there seemingly unwilling to go to their own rooms. Yuki and one of the 7th year prefects stood on a table to get the room's attention.

"Quiet down, everyone!" said Yuki, "We need to get a count to make sure everyone's here. One of the Professors will be coming to explain things soon, but until then we need to wait here. Now if you can just group up by year, it'll be easier to get a count. Come on, first years over here…"

Yuki was a good leader. Maybe it was because she was never really friends with Cedric, but she was very calm and collected. It took a while to organize the crowded room, but eventually they were all seated by year, some on couches and chairs, but mostly on the ground. There were sniffles and sobs interspersed with the whispered conversations. All the voices were low now, but the sheer volume of whispers formed a thick layer of sound that echoed oddly through the room.

Ellie covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, but snippets of nearby conversation still got through.

"Is he really dead?"

"I thought the tournament was supposed to be safer this year."

"I hope Fleur survived."

"Poor Cho."

"Did you see his Father's face?"

"Did anyone see Krum breathing when they carried him off to the hospital wing?"

"I reckon Potter could have killed them all."

"Are they going to shut down Hogwarts now that somebody's died?"

"He didn't deserve to die."

Of course he didn't deserve to die, thought Ellie. He was kind and good and brave and even if he was none of those things, he still wouldn't deserve death. No one deserves death, but it comes for us anyway. Ellie wondered how much time she would have needed to spend with Cedric for people to say "poor Ellie" the way they'd said "poor Cho." Their friendship had only just begun, they hardly had a chance. She regretted the time she'd wasted, thinking he was arrogant because he was popular or vain because he was handsome. They could have been great friends, but now she'd never have the chance.

The room immediately fell silent when the door to the common room opened. It was the astronomy professor, coming to tell everyone what was going on outside and to stay put. No information yet, just warnings. Stay where you are, don't leave the common room, sleep if you want… empty words and evasive explanations.

One student demanded, "Is Diggory dead?"

There was a murmur of assent. This is what they wanted to know. Professor Sinistra flinched and said that she couldn't answer anything at the moment, but there would be more information tomorrow.

"Just tell us!" called another voice. Sinistra's trembling voice was not very compelling.

"I'm sorry, students, that's all I can say. Tomorrow the heads of houses will -"

Ellie was about to ask her own question, but another student beat her to it. "Where's our Head of House, then? Where's Professor Snape?"

Professor Snape was in the Hospital wing, enduring the most ludicrously obtuse statements from the Minister of Magic, on top of everything else. Once again, a Hogwarts teacher had been carrying out the Dark Lord's wishes right under Snape's nose and he had failed to see it. Foolishly, he had trusted Moody to make sure nothing in the maze got out of hand, and now a student was dead because he had failed to see the signs.

And Potter was involved in the return of the Dark Lord, because of course he was! Everything revolved around this hopelessly incompetent child. He should have realized it as soon as the mark burned, but no, he had trusted that Potter was safely playing his Triwizard games and couldn't possibly be involved this time. Foolish.

Despite his protections being breached on multiple fronts, the boy had somehow survived to tell the world of Voldemort's return, and now the Minister of Magic was doing everything in his power to bury his head in the sand and pretend it wasn't happening!

"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry was shouting. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy -"

Snape flinched involuntarily, then quickly turned back to Fudge. He needed to get his emotions back under control. While Dumbledore and Fudge continued to argue back and forth, he slowed his breathing and collected his thoughts. Of course Lucius would have answered the call. He had never given up the old ways, really. But Snape couldn't help the sudden rush of sadness he felt at the news. Lucius was powerful and well connected. If anyone could have ignored the Dark Lord's call and survived, it was him. But Lucius had returned to his master, and now Snape was doomed to face his friend as an enemy.

In a way, this would be harder than lying to Voldemort. Snape knew where he stood with the Dark Lord. But Lucius… twisted as their relationship was, he was a friend. And Snape would use that to his advantage, to overthrow their master. He didn't doubt his resolve on this. But it saddened him anyway. 

He acknowledged the feeling then shelved it for later. This was no time for such sentiment. He needed a clear and focused mind. And for the sake of people everywhere, magical and muggle, he needed this tremendously idiotic minister to accept reality as it was.

Dumbledore and Fudge seemed to have reached an impasse. Fudge was pleading, "He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be…"

Snape strode forwards, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm, and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled.

"There," said Snape harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was, an hour or so ago, when it burnt black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burnt into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing each other, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's, too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

Fudge stepped back from Snape, too. He was shaking his head. He did not seem to have taken in a word Snape had said. He stared, apparently repelled at the ugly mark on Snape"s arm, then looked up at Dumbledore and whispered, "I don't know what you and your staff are playing at Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry."

Snape covered the mark and backed away. There was nothing more he could do to convince Fudge. There was nothing more he could do here at all. He waited patiently while Dumbledore started giving orders. A military commander, gathering the troops. He was prepared. All the key members of the order already knew this was coming, they just needed to be gathered and assigned their tasks.

When Madam Pomfrey was gone, Dumbledore continued, "And now it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius… if you could resume your usual form."

The dog by the bed transformed into Sirius Black, completely throwing off the mental control exercises that Snape was working on. "Him!" snarled Snape. "What is he doing here?"

Snape stared with loathing at his old school acquaintance, who met his eye with equal dislike, as Dumbledore said, "He is here at my invitation, as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other."

Snape doubted whether those differences could ever be laid aside. This man had tortured him relentlessly for years. Snape had done nothing to earn Sirius's ire. It had been a game to them. James and Sirius were as bad as any Death Eater, using their power to bully and ridicule Snape. Seeing Sirius standing there next to Harry Potter, the very likeness of his father, he could almost hear their taunts. The blood was pounding in his ears. How could Dumbledore possibly expect him to trust someone who had once tried to kill him?

"I will settle, in the short term," said Dumbledore, "for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth stand united, there is no hope for any of us."

Snape did not want to shake Sirius's hand. What could this pathetic escaped convict possibly offer the cause? What would Dumbledore do, he wondered, if he refused to make peace? Snape's services were more valuable, surely. But no, he had to obey Dumbledore. That's how this worked. If he didn't, it would all fall apart. Very slowly, he moved toward Sirius, keeping eye contact. Sirius matched his pace, and they met in the middle and shook hands. 

Vividly, Snape remembered the last time they'd clasped hands like this. 4th year, Snape had been walking to class when a staircase began to move unexpectedly. He lost his balance, and reached his hand out for help. Sirius caught it. He looked Snape in the eyes, realized his mistake, and immediately let go. Snape tumbled backwards down the stairs, spilling his bag everywhere and acquiring a number of painful bruises along with a cracked skull. Sirius wiped his hands on his robe and remarked that he needed to go to the bathroom immediately to wash the Snivellus off his hands. Everyone laughed.

Snape saw the same look of disgust in Sirius's eyes now. The look that said,  _ I would rather watch you fall to your death than shake your hand. _ This time, Snape made sure that he ended the handshake first. Snape tried to convey with his eyes his feelings on the situation.  _ I would rather fall to my death than shake your hand _ . But if the fate of the world depended on them working together… no, it still might not be worth it.

"That will do to be going on with," said Dumbledore, stepping between them. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge’s attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher – the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin’s for a while, I will contact you there.

"But –" said Harry, petulantly.

"You’ll see me very soon, Harry," said Sirius, turning to him. "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don’t you?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah ... of course I do."

Sirius transformed again and headed for the door.

"Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready ... if you are prepared ..."

Snape felt oddly calm. Sirius's presence had thrown him off, but this is what he was here for. He was prepared. He'd been preparing for thirteen years.

"I am," said Snape.

"Then, good luck," said Dumbledore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, some dialogue is borrowed from the books. Credit to JKR.


	7. The Dark Lord

Snape walked quickly through the halls of the castle. The corridors were dark and empty. Could it really have only been two hours ago that he first felt the mark burn? The castle felt like a different place now. Not a school, but a fortress.

He wondered whether any students would sleep peacefully tonight. With a lurch, he remembered the way Ellie had looked at him earlier this evening. "What do we do?" she had asked. Ellie was a smart girl, she knew that this was about more than the Triwizard Tournament. There was a much bigger question embedded in those words.

He suddenly felt the urge to go find her and explain what was happening. Snape knew that he could die tonight. The Dark Lord might kill him on the spot, without even giving him the chance to make his excuses. His lies might fail. He wanted to tell Ellie, to give her a chance to say goodbye. But when he reached the stairs to the Dungeons, he kept walking. If he stopped now, he wouldn't have the courage to start again.

Snape could still feel the mark. The link was not as strong as it was a few hours ago, but it was enough. As soon as he got outside the grounds, he turned on the spot and disapparated. It took him only a moment to get his bearings. They were not in the graveyard that Potter had described, but rather in a small room, lit only by a sputtering fire in the grate. But there was no mistaking the figure in the chair, or the groveling rat beside him.

Snape immediately took a knee. "My Lord."

Voldemort replied, "I did not expect you to come, Severus. I am told you serve another master now."

"I have returned to serve you, master."

"You are late," said Voldemort, "explain yourself."

It was more than Snape could have hoped for. He was being given a chance to explain. He met Voldemort's eyes and said, "I have been anticipating your return, my Lord. When I saw the mark getting clearer, I knew you would rise again. Your last order to me was to infiltrate Hogwarts and earn Dumbledore's trust. I have done this, my Lord, and I have kept his trust. Even now, he thinks I am his. But I am yours master, now and always. I live only to serve you."

"You live only to serve me, and yet you did not seek me out yourself? No, do not answer. I have heard enough excuses tonight. You should suffer for your betrayal, for your lack of faith."

Pettigrew looked back and forth between the two greater wizards, eager to see Snape suffer. Snape recognized that look from his school days, though he was more accustomed to Pettigrew looking at Potter with that pathetic bloodlust. He never changed. Always pleased to watch the torture, but too cowardly to participate himself.

"If that is your wish, my Lord." said Snape, humbly.

Voldemort twirled his wand in his long fingers, but made no move to cast a spell. "What have you brought me, Severus? I sense that you have not come empty handed."

"Information, my Lord. Sixteen years of information on Albus Dumbledore."

"Information…" echoed Voldemort thoughtfully. "I need only one spy at Hogwarts, Severus. And there is another Death Eater who has already proved his usefulness."

"If you are referring to Barty Crouch Jr, it is too late. He has already suffered the dementor's kiss."

Without warning, Voldemort shouted, " _ Crucio _ !"

Snape fell to the ground, writhing in pain. It was excruciating, like every nerve ending he had was on fire. But the sensation was not new to him, and he did not scream. 

Voldemort lifted the curse and casually continued, "You are very brave to be bringing such news to Lord Voldemort. My most loyal and faithful follower, gone. Do you have more bad news for me, Severus?"

"Yes, my Lord." said Snape. Even if he was tortured for it, he knew that Voldemort would want to hear it all. His willingness to suffer this pain in order to deliver the news only proved his loyalty. Lesser servants would cower and keep their secrets, but not Severus Snape. "Crouch confessed everything to Dumbledore before he was kissed. About his father, the World Cup, your plans for Potter -"

" _ Crucio! _ " shouted Voldemort again, this time with real anger. This night had not gone at all according to plan, and he needed to take his frustration out on someone. "Enough of your information! You should have brought me a real gift, the Potter boy!"

Snape ached all over from the second attack, but he plowed on, "There is good news as well, my Lord. Dumbledore conveyed this information to the Minister immediately, but without Crouch's testimony, there is no proof. Fudge refuses to believe you have returned. He believes that Crouch was a madman, acting on his own…"

Voldemort sunk into a thoughtful silence for a while. This was good news, but he had to decide what to do with it. It was inevitable that Voldemort would have realized this eventually when no one came after him, but for Snape to deliver the news so promptly was a great gift. But was it enough to earn his trust?

"Wormtail," said Voldemort, "fetch Lucius. You may stand, Severus."

Wormtail scurried from the room and Snape stood, facing the Dark Lord. When they were alone and Wormtail's steps had faded from hearing, Voldemort continued, "I had hoped you would return to me Severus, but I am still in doubt of your convictions. You must prove yourself to me."

"Of course, master. Whatever you command."

Snape felt the pressure on his mind increase. Beyond the low-level reading that Voldemort was always attempting, the Dark Lord was putting intention and effort into his legilimency now. A part of his mind was closed, but much of it was left open. There were memories there of Potter's many failures in class and Snape's subsequent contempt for the boy. There was a memory of talking to Dumbledore about the Dark Lord, imbued with the genuine resentment that Snape often felt when taking orders from the headmaster. All of it was crafted, intentional, and indistinguishable from the real thing.

"You will return to Hogwarts tonight and continue to act as my spy," said Voldemort, prodding Snape's mind for signs of betrayal. "And the next time you are called, you will come promptly, ready to deliver any information I ask of you."

"Yes, my Lord."

"There is knowledge I seek that perhaps only you could procure, Severus… The Prophecy. You must deliver to me the full contents of the prophecy. If Dumbledore trusts you as you say he does, then he will tell you this."

"I will put all my efforts into this, my Lord," replied Snape. An emotion not unlike panic was threatening to break free of his control, but he stamped it out. Dumbledore would not allow Snape to deliver this knowledge, Snape knew, but Voldemort would not welcome him back until he did. He could think on this paradox more when he was not in the presence of the Dark Lord.

The conversation was put on hold when the sound of footsteps approached. A hooded figure strode confidently into the room with Wormtail following closely on his heels. Snape had not bothered with a mask. He was not anticipating a need to disguise his identity or intimidate anyone who was not himself a death eater. It was unusual for the inner circle to keep their hoods up when they were meeting in private.

The figure walked right past Snape and kneeled. "What do you require of me, my Lord?"

"It seems we have little to fear from the Ministry, Lucius," said Voldemort. "They have decided to ignore the evidence of my return. See to it that he remains unaware of our movements. Unless your sway at the Ministry has been overstated?"

"No, my Lord," said Lucius hastily, "I will do as you say."

"Very good, Lucius," said Voldemort smoothly. "Very good. You may go now. Tell the others. All of you, go. I wish to be alone with my thoughts."

The three Death Eaters bowed and backed out of the room, closing the door behind them. Lucius led the way with Snape in the middle and Wormtail following a safe distance behind. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, however, Lucius gestured for Snape to follow him away from the murmuring voices that could be heard in a nearby room. Wormtail made to follow, but Snape glared him down, so he continued down the hall to bring the good news to the other Death Eaters who were presumably waiting nearby.

Lucius removed his hood and said, "I'm glad you're here, Severus. When you didn't show up in the graveyard, I thought -"

"I know what you thought, Lucius. You did not invite me to join in your amusements at the World Cup last summer, either. I am well aware that you consider me a traitor to the cause."

"I admit, I suspected you from time to time," said Lucius, "but we can put that behind us now, can't we, Severus?"

Snape hesitated. He was under no obligation to make peace with Lucius. His initial sharp reaction had been an attempt to drive a wedge between them, to make things easier going forward. He needed to maintain the appearance of camaraderie with Lucius, for the sake of his role as a Death Eater, but as a member of The Order of the Phoenix, he ought to be abandoning all genuine affection for the man. Lucius Malfoy embodied everything Snape and the Order were fighting against. He was a pureblood elitist with a penchant for torture and no intentions of changing his ways. Snape ought to hate him, even as he hated Voldemort.

But Lucius was smiling at him, with an openness and sincerity of expression that few had the privilege to see. Snape remembered the feeling he'd had, watching Karkaroff flee earlier that evening. There was sadness, helplessness, and grim acceptance. Dead man walking. That must be how Lucius had felt, seeing Snape's empty place in the circle that evening. But now Snape was here, and Lucius wouldn't have to hunt down and eliminate his friend. Malfoy's happiness and relief were genuine, and Snape could feel it.

"Yes, we can put it behind us," said Snape, holding out his hand.

Lucius took the hand and pulled Snape into a rough hug with the other arm. "We will do great things together, Severus," said Lucius. "The world is ours for the taking."

Ellie did not sleep that night. She tried, at first, but after a few hours she acknowledged the futility of it and quietly crept back out to the common room, where she was unsurprised to find that she was not the only one awake at 3 A.M.

There were three first years clustered together, not talking. Just sitting in armchairs in front of the fireplace, watching the flames. It must be awful, she thought, to see a dead body when you are still so young.

There were a few others scattered around the room, glassy-eyed and lost in their own thoughts. Ellie knew them all by face, but not by name. She wondered if Cedric would have known who they were, these anonymous Slytherins observing a silent vigil in his name.

Ellie took her book and sat alone at an empty table. For many hours, she alternated between reading and staring blankly at the wood grain of the table. As early morning light began to filter through the submerged windows, she put the book down, and stood up to stretch. The first years in the armchairs appeared to be asleep, but the others turned to look at her. They'd stayed up all night together in silence, and Ellie was the first to put a wrinkle in that eerie reverie.

It was too early to go to breakfast, but curfew broke at first light, and Ellie was feeling restless. The eyes of her fellow Slytherins in mourning followed her all the way out the door. The hallways were always empty at 5:30 in the morning, but Ellie had never experienced it before. For lack of anywhere better to go, she made her way up to the owlery.

Ellie's owl, Nomad, was sleeping peacefully on a perch when she walked in, but when Ellie softly called her name she woke up with a gentle flurry of wings and landed on Ellie's shoulder.

"I'm sorry I haven't visited recently," said Ellie. "I haven't had anyone to write."

Nomad hooted quietly, and Ellie knew she didn't mind. Nomad was half wild anyway. She spent as much time in the forbidden forest as she did in the owlery. She may be Ellie's pet, but she had her own life too. She earned her keep by delivering frequent letters to Ellie's friends in the summer and occasionally helping Ellie correspond with the few adult wizards she knew outside Hogwarts during the rest of the year.

Nomad had been Snape's first gift to her, back before either of them knew that Ellie was a witch. Nomad was a good friend to Ellie. They'd been through a lot together. She couldn't offer any advice, but she was a great listener.

"My friend died yesterday," said Ellie. "He was just a little bit older than me."

Nomad leaned into Ellie's hand as she stroked her. Ellie thought that it would be appropriate to cry then, but the tears wouldn't come. She just stared out of the window at the pale sky until it seemed late enough to go down to the great hall.

"We'll be going home soon, Nomad," said Ellie. "Then I can sleep."

When Ellie got down to breakfast it was already filling up. It seemed like most students were hoping there would be more information at breakfast. The teacher's table, however, was empty. They must all be in a meeting, thought Ellie, deciding what not to tell the students.

"Where have you been?" said Yuki testily when Ellie sat down next to her. "You weren't there when we woke up this morning, and we were all really worried!"

"Sorry," said Ellie, "I couldn't sleep. I went up to the owlery."

"You look awful," said Phineas. "Didn't you sleep at all?"

Ellie shook her head. She realized that she had forgotten to brush her hair and wash her face both last night and this morning, so she really must look like a mess.

The mood in the great hall was very subdued. There were some students nearby who were attempting to have a normal conversation about their final exams, but they kept losing the thread of their thoughts halfway through and letting the conversation die, only to repeat the same remarks a few minutes later. Still others were discussing the events of last night, while Ellie tried desperately to block them out. Ellie didn't say anything at all.

All of the Durmstrang students were at the table as well, including Krum. They had claimed one end of the table for themselves, though, and were excluding the Slytherins from whatever conversation they were having. From their faces, Ellie guessed that they weren't trying to pretend that everything was normal.

As the meal was wrapping up, the teachers filed into the room. Ellie spotted Snape, looking at least as tired as Ellie. All of the teachers looked like they'd had rough nights, except for Professor Moody who was conspicuously absent.

Dumbledore stood at the front of the room and faced the students. There was no need to call for attention, as everyone was already watching the headmaster. He began, "You are all, no doubt, distraught after the events of last night. The tragedy of Cedric Diggory's death is immense."

The crowd murmured quietly about this declaration and Ellie heard more than a few startled gasps. They had all witnessed it, of course, but this was the first confirmation they had received from the faculty that Cedric was really dead.

"However," continued Dumbledore, "I request that you not question Harry Potter or the other Champions about what happened in the maze. They, as do you, deserve the chance to mourn. Thank you."

Dumbledore found his seat at the head table as the room broke into conversation again. Ellie didn't wait around to hear the conspiracies the other Slytherins were brewing. She knew how suspicious Harry's situation was, and Dumbledore's words hadn't helped, but she did not believe that Harry Potter was capable of murder.

Then again, who would believe that Ellie was capable of murder? Harry could have killed Cedric accidentally, when they were fighting for the cup… The thought of it turned her stomach. She and Harry would make quite the pair. Accidental child murderers. Maybe he really was crazy. Maybe he really did have fits of insanity. Maybe, like Ellie, he just lost control of his magic and made a fatal mistake.

Ellie left the great hall amid the chatter of her peers and headed straight for Snape's office. He was the only one who would give her honest answers. He would need to go back there at some point that day, so she decided to stake it out. She didn't have to wait long.

Snape got no rest that night. When he wasn't in Dumbledore's office making plans, he was waiting outside Dumbledore's office while the headmaster discussed things with someone else. Half the order came through Hogwarts at some point, for variable amounts of time. Thankfully, he was not forced to see Sirius again.

Dumbledore was very interested, but not surprised, to learn that Voldemort was after the prophecy. It lent a certain focus to their plans. No doubt Voldemort had other schemes underway, but since this was the one they had intel on, this is where they focused their attention. Harry Potter, as usual, was sleeping peacefully while everyone else was making plans to protect him.

He wasn't released from his responsibilities until after breakfast the next morning, when Dumbledore decided he deserved a break. He considered sleep, but found that he was still too wired to get any real rest, no matter how exhausted his body was. What he needed was some time alone to think, and to process.

When he got back to his office, though, Ellie was waiting for him. Another exhausting task for him to deal with, but he couldn't put it off. Before he got down to business he gave her a good, long hug. This wasn't going to be easy for either of them.

"Tell me what's going on," demanded Ellie.

"Sit down," said Snape. "A lot has happened in the last few hours."

"How did Cedric die?"

Snape considered carefully how to frame his response. He had thought that Ellie would be asking about Harry first. Like Snape, she was always quietly looking out for him from the sidelines. He had thought that Ellie and Cedric didn't know each other well, but the wild angry look in her eye told him otherwise. She needed to hear the truth, whole and unaltered.

"He was murdered," said Snape, "by the Dark Lord."

Ellie looked resigned but unsurprised. "He's back."

It wasn't a question, but Snape answered anyway. "Yes, he's back."

"And there's no way you're mistaken? There's no way it could have been anyone else?"

"No, Ellie. There is no doubt at all."

Snape explained what happened in the maze and the graveyard the previous night as best as he could. He explained about Moody and Crouch and Harry's role in the resurrection. He explained how the blood she shared with Harry is what enabled his return. Ellie grew quieter and quieter as Snape explained, her questions growing less frequent. Snape couldn't reveal all the doings of the order, but he assured her that there were people fighting this, even if the Ministry wasn't. And he told her that he himself had met with Voldemort face to face last night. 

"So that's where things stand," said Snape, "He's back, more powerful than ever before, and I am doing everything I can to bring him down."

"Right," said Ellie quietly, "I want to join the Order."

"No," said Snape firmly, "Even if the Order allowed school-age witches to join, which we don't, I wouldn't allow it. I need to concentrate on my work, and I can't do that while I'm worrying about your safety. You do understand that being in the Order means being on the front lines, don't you? Some of us will die. Maybe all of us. I told you all of this so you don't accidentally blunder into something dangerous due to ignorance, but I don't want you involved."

"I'm already involved!" said Ellie, "Like you said, it's in my blood. How could I not be involved, with you so involved on both sides? I'll be 17 this summer! I could help you. How do you expect to keep me out of it when I'm living with you?"

"You can't live with me this summer," said Snape.

"What do you mean?" said Ellie, "Why can't I go home?"

"Did you miss the part where I said I was a high-ranking member of the Dark Lord's army? A Death Eater, or even the Dark Lord himself, could come to my home at any time, without notice. I can't have a teenager living in my house when that happens. Have you forgotten why our familial ties have been kept secret for so long? It was in preparation for this. Our peaceful days are over, Ellie. We were always running on borrowed time, and we've just run out."

"I'd rather face the Death Eaters together than go into hiding by myself."

"We can't face anything together!" said Snape, "As soon as you declare for one side or the other, it gives me away! And you have no idea what you are asking to face. You have no idea what the Dark Lord is capable of!"

"I know exactly what he's capable of," said Ellie, "He killed Cedric!"

"You aren't thinking clearly," said Snape. "I understand that you are upset about Diggory, but you can't just rush into a revenge mission without thinking about it. If you saw the Dark Lord, if you really understood the stakes here, you wouldn't be asking to join the Order."

"Well I can't see him!" said Ellie, "not unless you let me fight."

Snape considered this. Ellie was being stubborn and emotional, but she needed to understand what she was asking for. He could show her his memories, he thought. That would certainly convince her of the dangers at hand. He could borrow Dumbledore's pensieve… but no, he would never agree to that. If he had his way Ellie wouldn't know anything at all.

"Are you still interested in learning legilimency?" asked Snape.

Caught off guard, Ellie lost the righteous energy she'd been fuelling and was reduced to just open-mouthed confusion. "Yeah, of course, but I don't see what that has to do with -"

"I can show you Lord Voldemort. I can show you what he's done, what he's capable of. It's all up here," said Snape, tapping his temple.

"But isn't it difficult to learn? I mean you made it sound like it was…"

"It is," said Snape. "But don't worry, I'll be guiding you. All you need to do is initiate the connection, and I will hand you the memories you need to see."

Ellie nodded thoughtfully. "Now?"

"No better time," said Snape, "we may not have another chance. You know the spell."

Ellie stood facing Snape, as they had frequently done in lessons past, but this time Ellie was the one pointing a wand at him. She was a little nervous, but excited as well. She'd been wanting to learn this for a long time, and while the situation was not exactly ideal, she was grateful for the opportunity. She pointed the wand at Snape the way she had seen him do it, and muttered, " _ legilimens _ ."

Her mind felt like it was expanding and her vision blurred. It was like another scene was superimposed over her own vision, and it made her feel a little queasy. Recoiling from the unfamiliar sensation, she pulled back.

"That was good," said Snape, "but you need to lean into it more. It may help if you close your eyes. Remember, I'll show you what you need to see."

Ellie closed her eyes and lifted her wand again. " _ Legilimens _ !"

This time, she leaned into it and focused only on the images entering her mind, and not on the reality around her. She was walking through the grounds towards the school gate, but her feet were still planted on the ground. She realized that she must be looking through Snape's eyes. She let the scene play, like watching a movie, but first-person. Snape was controlling the memory. She let him guide her.

It was very different from being forced to see her own memories when she was on the receiving end of this spell. The sound was oddly distorted and the scene kept skipping and changing speed. The emotions that went with the vision were also hard to process. It tasted like fear, but not her own fear. Ellie had never felt like that before. Through all of her Occlumency training, Ellie had thought of this as mind reading, but after a few seconds in Snape's mind, she recognized that idea for the oversimplification it was. She couldn't just break into someone else's mind and immediately understand it.

She understood enough, though. She understood that Snape disapparated in this memory, and then he was in a room. And the person in the chair… no that was no person at all. A pale snakelike face and red eyes that gleamed in the dim light. That was Lord Voldemort.

Ellie recognized this memory. Snape had told her about it just a few minutes ago. This was from the previous night. The words were lost on Ellie, but wave after wave of fear crashed over her. It was overwhelming. Then Lord Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at Ellie.

The sudden pain was unendurable, and Ellie immediately pulled back from Snape's thoughts, cutting them off. She was back in his office, gasping for air. She knew that no one was really performing the cruciatus curse on her, but the ghost pain lingered. Snape didn't look shaken at all.

"That's who the Dark Lord is," said Snape. "He got everything he wanted from me, and tortured me anyway. Do you want to see more? You've seen one dead body, but if you join the Order I promise it will not be the last. I have several such memories to share with you, if you wish…"

"No!" said Ellie quickly. "No, I get the point."

"Good," said Snape, "Then you'll stay out of it?"

"I'll do my best," said Ellie, "but where will I go? Yuki and her family will be in Japan, and Phineas is going on tour… besides, I think his family may actually be supporters of the Dark Lord."

"You'll figure it out," said Snape.

"You're not going to help me?"

"Forgive me for having more important matters to attend to," said Snape testily, "You can handle this much on your own. Speaking of which, I've had a long night and need to rest a while. Go, be with your friends. You won't be seeing them for a while."

"Before I go…" said Ellie, "about that memory you showed me…"

"What about it?"

"You were afraid. Really afraid. Terrified," said Ellie. "Do you always feel like that?"

"Yes," said Snape, "I am always afraid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else ever wonder what went down between Snape and Voldy that night? I sure did.


	8. Something Brewing

When Ellie got off the Hogwarts Express, she went right to the Leaky Cauldron and checked in. She was glad there was a room available, because she didn't have any backup plans for where to spend the night. It was too expensive to be a sustainable situation, but at least it was safe. She'd decided that Diagon Alley was the safest place to be that summer. Whatever was going on in the wizarding world, she would be sure to hear about it there.

It was almost easy to forget about Voldemort in Diagon Alley. The Daily Prophet wasn't reporting anything, and the news that Voldemort was back hadn't yet filtered out into the general population from the students who had heard Dumbledore's announcement at the end-of-year feast. Everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was blissfully unaware of the dangers brewing around them.

Ellie's first stop the next morning was Gringotts. Snape had put some gold in a vault for Ellie, but it wasn't much. Certainly not enough for Ellie to stay in a cushy hotel for two months. Ellie's second stop was Ollivander's to beg for her old job back.

Last summer, Ellie had swept floors and organized shelves for Ollivander in exchange for access to his materials and workshop. For a summer apprenticeship, it was a fair deal. But wand wood wouldn't pay rent, so she had to ask for a salary this time.

Ollivander did not take that request well. Ellie had initially decided not to work for Ollivander this summer, when she thought she would be staying with Snape. She'd learned all that she could about wandworking without actually dedicating herself to being a master wandmaker, so she'd decided to move onto other interests. She thought she would be able to pursue her independent research on Magical Theory, but Voldemort's return squashed those plans. What Ellie needed was a job.

"If you wanted to work here, you should have written me months ago," said Ollivander. "And being my apprentice is a privilege worth far more than any amount of gold."

"Please, Mr. Ollivander," Ellie begged. "I have nowhere else to go."

"I'm not a charity!" replied Ollivander. "I am a master wandmaker and sensible business owner. It isn't my fault if your father kicked you out."

"My father?" said Ellie, with surprise. She had never mentioned anything to anyone other than Yuki and Phineas about having a father. For all of the previous summer she was very careful to reveal nothing about her living situation to Ollivander or any of the other wizards she met while working there.

"Yes, your father. Severus Snape. He kicked you out, didn't he? That's why you're here, begging at my doorstep."

Ellie replied quickly, "Professor Snape isn't my Father -"

"Don't play dumb with me, Nihil," said Ollivander. "I've known it from the first day you set foot in my shop."

This was even more baffling to Ellie. When Ellie first got her wand, Snape hadn't even adopted her yet. Could he have known about Ellie being a foster child? "But how -"

"Your wand, Nihil, your wand!" Ollivander said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I told you it had a sister, didn't I? Another Acacia wand of the same tree and the same dragon, made by my father. I suspected your parentage as soon as I saw you. It was Snape's presence that made me think of that particular wand in the first place. And when it chose you, it confirmed my suspicions. The other Acacia wand belongs to your grandmother, Eileen Snape."

Ellie's surprise at this revelation was completely overshadowed by the panic it generated. This was about as bad as it could get. No one was supposed to know that Snape was her biological father. The wand connection was flimsy proof, at best, and she could try to deny it, but the suspicion was still deeply rooted in Ollivander's mind. He'd known for years! It would take an incredibly complex memory charm to scrub that from his brain. And if he knew that Snape was her father, it wouldn't be a great leap for him to guess the identity of her mother either. Anyone who knew Snape sufficiently well could hazard a guess at that.

"Twin wands don't inherently indicate familial ties in the wielders," said Ellie.

"Don't quote my teachings back at me," said Ollivander, "I know more about twin cores than you could ever dream of understanding with your half-hearted attempts to study the art of wandmaking."

"Who else knows about this?" said Ellie.

"Hmmm? No one, of course," said Ollivander, "It did not escape my notice that you were avoiding the topic. Whatever your reasons, it isn't my place to tell people."

Ellie was not entirely at ease with this response. It was good that he hadn't said anything yet, but he still could. If a Death Eater knocked down the door and demanded information, would he insist that it wasn't his place to tell? What if he was tortured?

"Whether it's true or not, you are not to tell anyone, under any circumstances." said Ellie quietly. "If this gets out, I will know you were the source."

Ollivander narrowed his eyes. Ellie was clearly threatening something, but he looked like he hadn't yet decided if Ellie was capable of following through. "I think you should leave now," said Ollivander cooly.

There was more Ellie could have said, about how important it was to keep her personal history a secret, but she had no idea how to convince Ollivander of this without revealing the very secrets she was trying to keep. So she just left without saying anything. It was incredibly rude, and she would probably regret it later, but for the moment she was just angry.

Her day wasn't over yet, though. Ollivander's had certainly been her first choice, but there were other shops around. She'd gotten to know several of the shopkeepers over the previous summers when she spent a lot of time there. She ought to be able to wrangle a part-time job out of one of them, she thought.

She thought wrong. Ellie entered every store on the street to ask for a job, even the ones she had never been to before, but they all had some excuse not to hire her. Flourish and Blotts said it was too short notice. Fortescue said he'd already hired someone for the summer and couldn't afford to take on someone else. Madame Malkin said Ellie didn't have the necessary training, and the Magical Menagerie said they simply couldn't hire someone so young. Mostly, Ellie found that no one had any use for an underage witch who wasn't allowed to do any magic.

By dinnertime, Ellie was getting desperate. Was the summer job market any better in Hogsmeade? Could apologizing to Ollivander make a difference at this point? She even considered going out into muggle London to look for something, before realizing that a 16 year old with no legal documents or connections wouldn't have much luck out there either.

She sat down on the curb and tried to think, but bouts of anger and frustration kept getting in the way. Did Snape think that he was being a responsible father by doing this? Sure he was shielding her from the Dark Lord, but Ellie was no stranger to the Dark Arts. Surely this isolation was worse.

She wanted to just demand more money from Snape, so she could enjoy a summer vacation like a normal kid. He'd missed the first ten years of her life, and she felt like she was still owed back payment. But even if he had more than the meager savings he'd already transferred (unlikely), Snape had forbidden her from writing to him, because he was afraid the mail would be intercepted and read by unfriendly eyes. Until he initiated contact himself and gave the all clear, she was on her own.

It would be nice if she could stay with her friends, many of whom had very charitable parents, but she was out of luck on that front as well. All of her friends were in Slytherin, as were most of their parents, and she couldn’t be sure that they weren’t supporters of the Dark Lord. She would have to explain why she needed a place to stay, and none of her excuses protected her well. She couldn’t mention Snape, of course, but her usual lie about being muggleborn was getting increasingly dangerous. Better to stay away from meddlesome parents until she knew where they stood and could craft her cover story appropriately.

She found herself thinking longingly of the Ministry internship that Moody - or rather, Barty Crouch Junior - had recommended last Fall. She'd turn down his offer to connect her with someone in the Department of Mysteries because Snape had made some vague statement about it being ill-advised. Even though "Professor Moody" turned out to be a Death Eater, Ellie did feel like the offer had been genuine. She should have taken advantage of it while she had the chance. But no, Snape's absurd caution thwarted her plans.

Ellie didn't want to be cautious. She wanted to do something worthwhile with the next two months, and she didn't want something as small and stupid as gold getting in the way. Sweeping floors at Ollivander's would be as worthless as sitting on this stoop. At least the ministry would have let her do something that requires a real skill, even if the pay was negligible. But an underage witch doesn't have any skills to offer in a retail environment. No cleaning spells, no sorting spells, no permanent pearly smile enchantments. The only magic Ellie could do without triggering the trace was potions.

Ellie looked up and realized that she was sitting across from the entrance to Knockturn Alley. She hadn't exhausted all her options yet. She hadn’t been back to Knockturn Alley since her first disastrous visit, when Snape caught her trying to buy mamushi venom from Mr Mulpepper’s apothecary. It hadn’t been entirely disastrous, though, now that she thought about it. She had made a favorable impression on Malcolm Mulpepper. His nephew, Adrian Pucey, had told her about it.

She wondered if she made a strong enough impression that he would remember her after all these years.

Ellie stood up and brushed the dirt off her robes. Snape would almost certainly disapprove of what he was about to do, but he wasn’t here to stop her this time. And he hadn’t left her with many options.

Once again, Ellie was struck by the sudden change in atmosphere when she entered the alley. It was a few degrees colder, which was welcome on the hot summer day, and it was darker too. These stores did not hide their connections to the Dark Arts, but nothing in the windows was strictly illegal. Ellie immediately felt more at home there than she would have at any friend's house. It reminded her a bit of Snape's attic, full of odd trinkets she was not supposed to touch. Anyone who worked in a place like this knew better than to ask prying questions or offer unsolicited advice. Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies was the name of the game around here.

The street hadn't changed much in the five years since she'd been there, and the Apothecary was just as she remembered it. When she walked in, Malcolm Mulpepper was helping a lone customer wrap up his purchase, so Ellie bided her time by looking at various ingredients around the shop. Even as a first year student, Ellie had been able to identify many of the items, even though they were largely unlabelled. Now, however, she knew them all. 

After the customer handed over a suspiciously large bag of coins in exchange for a small opaque bottle, Ellie was left alone in the shop with Malcolm Mulpepper.

"Can I help you?" said Mulpepper gruffly.

"Er, yes," said Ellie, walking over to the counter. "I was wondering if you remembered me at all? I was in here a few years ago…"

Mr Mulpepper scratched his chin for a moment before saying, "You do look a little familiar, now that you mention it. How long ago did you say you came in?"

"Er… about 5 years ago. I was 11 or 12…"

"Oh yes, I remember now," said Mulpepper. "I don't see children in here very often. Ellie Nihil, isn't it? My nephew talks about you, of course. What were you after again? Something for a potion that Severus disapproved of, if I recall. Did you ever get to brew it?"

"I was trying to buy mamushi venom for liquid sunshine," said Ellie. "I was able to make it later that year, after Professor Snape had calmed down a bit."

"You brewed it successfully? As a second year?" asked Mulpepper skeptically.

"Er, well technically Professor Snape helped me."

"That wasn't the last I heard of you, though, was it?" said Mulpepper. "I fill all mail order requests personally, you know. As I recall, you ordered some ingredients from me at some point that year. An interesting list, I thought at the time. The exact contents escape me now, but they didn't correspond to any potion I knew, and I know just about every potion there is. Just filling your stores, perhaps? But the quantities were so small, and so specific… Yes, I would say that I remember you quite well now, Ellie Nihil. Perhaps you could sate my curiosity, hm? What was it you were brewing all those years ago?"

"It was… an original concoction," said Ellie. "For use in wandmaking."

"Original, eh?" said Mulpepper with a smirk. "Severus's work I'd imagine?"

"No, actually, this one was mine," said Ellie. "I was sort of keeping it a secret from Professor Snape at the time, which is why I ordered from you rather than going through, er, more official channels. I did ask for his help in refining it, eventually, but the first versions of the potions I brewed on my own."

Mulpepper looked rather impressed, but still a little skeptical. "Have you done much potion-making on your own? Outside of class, unassisted?"

"Lots,” Said Ellie, honestly. “Professor Snape doesn’t like me to do risky experiments in class, so I have to do a lot on my own, if I want to try out my own ideas.”

“That’s good,” Said Mulpepper. “I always found the Hogwarts curriculum too limiting. Liquid Sunshine ought to be NEWT standard, I think.”

“I agree,” Said Ellie, “I’ve found it to be terribly useful the last few years.”

Mr Mulpepper asked her what she’d been using it for, and she explained some of the herbology research work she’d been doing. Without liquid sunshine, all her little basement experiments would have been impossible. Mr Mulpepper was easy to talk to and seemed very curious about all the work she’d been doing. She wasn’t quite sure yet how to bring the conversation around to a job, but she felt that she was laying some good groundwork.

Unlike her previous research-related conversations, she used as many specific plant names as possible, trying to show off her knowledge. She also took little detours in the conversation to mention all the complicated potions she’d made as a student, even if it wasn’t strictly related to her research. He seemed particularly interested in the fact that she had spent three months in her fifth year carefully monitoring the cycles of the moon so she could brew a maximally potent invisibility potion.

“Goodness, look at the time!” Said Mulpepper, “we’ve been at it for over an hour! It’s nearly closing time already. I’ve quite forgotten what you were looking for in the first place.”

“Well, I never did say…” Said Ellie carefully. “Actually, I came in looking for a job.”

Mr Mulpepper didn’t laugh in her face, which was a good sign that he was more amenable to the idea than Fortescue had been. 

“I’ve been running this shop on my own for ten years,” Said Mr Mulpepper. “Why should I hire you?”

His tone wasn’t hostile, so Ellie interpreted this to mean, “please convince me” and not “please go away.”

“Well, like you said, you fill all the mail orders yourself. And you’re always manning the counter. Meanwhile you have a waitlist of customers who want you to brew their custom potion orders. Maybe I could lighten your load a bit.”

Mulpepper did not look entirely averse to this suggestion, and a little flutter of hope rose up in Ellie. Mulpepper replied, “and what do you hope to get out of it, hm?”

“Well, a paycheck,” said Ellie. There was no beating around that particular bush. “But I also hope to learn more about the art of potion making from a true master.”

“Severus not quite cutting it as a mentor, eh?”

Ordinarily Ellie would have said something in Snape’s defense, but she was still largely blaming him for the current situation. “Professor Snape has taught me everything he can. But there is more to learn that he is unable or unwilling to share with me.”

This answer seemed to please Mulpepper greatly. It seemed he had a bit of rivalry with the potions Master of Hogwarts, loyal customer though he was. “Alright,” Said Mulpepper, “I might be able to use an assistant, just for the summer.”

“Thank you, sir!” Said Ellie gratefully, “I won’t let you down.”

“Not so fast,” said Mulpepper. “I haven’t seen what you can do yet. It could all be a lot of talk. I think I ought to set you a little test.”

“No problem,” said Ellie confidently. “What did you have in mind?”

"It's closing time," said Mulpepper, looking at his watch. He pointed his wand at the door, which locked with an audible click, then flicked his wand to flip the open sign to closed. "I'd like to see you brew a potion. Let's see, something challenging, but not too time-consuming. What protection potions do you know, hm?"

"I've done a few," said Ellie. "Silverwing's Mind Shield, Armitis Potion, The Iron Draught, Umbra Tutella… Felix Felicis isn't strictly a protection potion, but I've done that too."

"A good mix, a good mix," said Mulpepper. "Very well balanced. Let's do one of the physical protection ones, in the interest of time. Do you have a preference for Armitis or Iron?"

"Well the Iron Draught is simpler… so Armitis?"

"Hah!" barked Mulpepper, "I like your attitude. Go on, then. Get what you need. Anything in the shop." Mulpepper opened a little door in the counter and gestured for Ellie to step through.

Ellie assumed that this was a part of the test. If she was going to work here, she ought to be able to find all of the ingredients without help. He didn't seem like the type to waste his own time on employee training, especially when he hadn't been seeking an employee to begin with. Ellie took his invitation and went behind the counter. Every shelf was crowded and largely unlabelled, but Ellie knew what she was looking for. She moved slowly down one wall and then another, pulling down items and mentally checking them off her list.

When she had everything she needed, Mulpepper showed her into the back room where there was a neat little potion lab setup. Like Snape's summer lab in the basement, there were a number of long-brew potions stewing and bubbling and vaguely smoking, but there were a number of empty cauldrons as well. As with the ingredients, Mulpepper gave no guidance, so Ellie just took what she needed and made her own setup. She was sure to line up everything she might need before she began, because she was not at all confident in her ability to find a silver knife quickly in an unfamiliar lab.

Once she got into the swing of things, it was easy to ignore Mulpepper, who was watching her closely. She ought to be nervous, since this was a high stakes test, but really she was just having fun. This is what she was good at. She began to hum quietly while she diced some roots. It was a habit she'd picked up from wandmaking, as some wood responded well to music. Dried roots and herbs were largely indifferent, but it still helped her to focus on her work. There was magic in repetition, and in odd habits, she knew. It was old magic and difficult to parse, but more than mere superstition.

Working steadily and efficiently, she finished within the hour. 

"Are you satisfied with your potion?" said Mulpepper.

"Yes, I think so."

"Well then, time to test it, hm? Drink up."

This caught Ellie off guard. She was not accustomed to testing potions on herself. If a potion was meant to be drunk, they usually used a toad or a rat or some other animal they had on hand. But typically Snape evaluated the potions on looks alone. Even the Felix Felicis, which Ellie had spent six arduous months brewing, hadn't yet been used by an actual person. For all the emphasis she'd put on her potions studies, she'd hardly ever used potions herself. 

Seeing her hesitation, Mulpepper said, "You can't say you're satisfied with your potion unless you're willing to drink it yourself. Go on."

Acknowledging the wisdom in this, Ellie measured out a small portion into a glass, just enough for a few minutes of armoured protection. She swallowed the whole dose in one gulp. It tasted awful going down, like drinking from a rusty water fountain. But potions were rarely pleasant to drink. The effect took over in the next 30 seconds or so, and it was the oddest sensation. The potion, in essence, gave her a second, thicker, invisible skin. It was largely undetectable to the naked eye, but she could feel it in the way her clothes rubbed against the new skin.

"It's working," said Ellie.

"Good," said Mulpepper. "Put your hand on the table, there."

Ellie obliged, and before she registered what was happening, Mulpepper picked up the silver knife and stabbed it into her hand. She reflexively pulled her hand back with a startled shout, and looked at the wound on her hand. Except, of course, there was none. The potion had done its job and turned the blade, which was the whole point of the potion. Still, Ellie's heart was beating a little faster from the shock of it.

"You should have more confidence in your work," said Mulpepper. "This Armitis potion is as good as I've ever seen it. It could stop a goblin blade."

Ellie doubted that any protection magic could stop a goblin-made blade, but she wasn't going to contradict the compliment. "Thank you, sir. So does that mean I've passed?"

"Oh yes, you're more than qualified to help out around here," said Mulpepper, "but you've got to stop calling me sir. If you're going to be around here all the time you ought to relax, hm? Malcolm is fine, or even Mal."

"Er, well thank you… Malcolm," said Ellie nervously. "Now that you've seen what I can do, maybe we could discuss the details of the arrangement a bit?"

"By details I think you mean compensation," said Malcolm shrewdly. "I should warn you that this is a humble operation I run here. I can't afford to pay you much."

"I don't need much," said Ellie quickly, "Just enough to make rent."

"How much is your rent?"

"Er… well I haven't actually found a place yet, so I'm not sure."

"Even better," said Malcolm, "I have a spare room upstairs. It's not much, but it's yours if you want it. I usually rent it out, but the last tenant left unexpectedly, so it's vacant at the moment."

"Oh," said Ellie, "That is even better. When do I start?"

When Ellie moved in the next day, she found that the room really wasn't much. It was just a small bedroom on the fourth floor with its own bathroom, but no kitchen. There were two tiny windows through which Ellie tried to summon a breeze to dispel the muggy attic-like air, with limited success. She wished she had asked Snape what spells he used to keep his house cool all summer, but it was too late now. In any case, she wasn't allowed to use magic yet so it wouldn't have helped. Despite its many flaws, Ellie liked her little room. It was private, at least, and the location was unbeatable. When Phineas found out she was living in Knockturn Alley he would lose it. Just walking down the street had felt so taboo before, but now she was calling it home. 

Her first week at the apothecary was an incredible learning experience. Malcolm insisted that she know every ingredient in the shop and their uses in potion making before she be allowed to man the counter unassisted. He expected this to take a long time, but Ellie blew his expectations out of the water by mastering the inventory in just four days. Of course, she was in a good place to begin with, but there were still quite a few obscure items for her to study in that time. Most of the things she needed to familiarize herself with were the ingredients used in potions that were deemed too Dark for Hogwarts students. Malcolm, however, had no qualms about teaching Ellie everything he knew.

The customers were also a part of the learning experience. Many of them covered their faces and muffled their voices, trying not to identify themselves. Ellie politely averted her eyes from such people, so her stare wouldn't make them uncomfortable. As long as they paid, their identities were none of her business. Even when a short, stooped witch asked for Unicorn blood, Ellie simply said that they didn't carry it, and kept her judgements to herself. There were many uses for Unicorn blood, after all. The crime was in the killing, not in the use.

Ellie quickly found, however, that the apothecary itself was not the real money-maker. People paid quite a hefty sum for Malcolm to brew their potions for them. As far as Ellie could tell, the rates were completely arbitrary, based on Malcolms whims, and completely non-negotiable. If someone couldn't afford the asking price, they simply had to go elsewhere. Usually they paid. Thinking on the incompetence of her classmates in potions lessons, this trend made sense. Few wizards had the skill to brew the potions that they asked for, so if they wanted them at all they had to agree to whatever wait times and prices Malcolm declared.

Ellie got the hang of things quickly, so pretty soon she was running the apothecary side of things while Malcolm was in the back working on potions. Sometimes they would switch, and Ellie would mind the potions in the back while Malcolm stood at the counter. She couldn't do anything major with the potions, though. Malcolm staked his reputation on their perfection, and he couldn't afford Ellie jeopardizing that. As he'd proved with Ellie's first test, he didn't believe in selling any potions that he wouldn't stake his own life on. He reminded her a lot of Ollivander in that respect.

At the start of her second week, Ellie saw Malcolm putting up a new sign in the window. "Half off custom potion orders made by trainee potioneer," it said.

"Does that mean you're going to let me brew potions myself?" asked Ellie.

"That depends very much on whether any customers will trust you to do it," replied Malcolm. "But I've made some quick progress with my order list thanks to your help, so I think you've earned the opportunity."

Ellie thanked him profusely. This was already better than her summer with Ollivander. This was a real job, with real challenges and real stakes. It was hard to believe that she'd considered scooping ice cream before she thought to become a trainee potioneer. She got her first assignment just a day later. It was a simple anti-venom, general purpose. Ellie didn't bother to ask the customer what they needed anti-venom for. Their shifty eyes made it clear that they were handling something illegal, but Ellie didn't mind that.

It was even better when Malcolm gave her a cut of the sale of the potion. "If you keep up the good work and develop your own reputation, I'll drop the half price deal and let you work on commission, as long as you don't undercut my business too much," said Malcolm.

There was no need to worry about Ellie taking customers. The vast majority of people who came in were still seeking Malcolm's services. But slowly over the next month Ellie began to build up a clientele of her own. The anti-venom witch came back for a second dose suspiciously quickly. But again Ellie had nothing to say. And it seemed like word was getting out through all the right channels, because on two separate occasions customers came in specifically looking for Ellie's services, largely because of her cheaper rates. Malcolm kept an eye on things and made sure he was still within acceptable profit margins, but he seemed to enjoy watching Ellie spread her wings.

Ellie was so happy with the work she was doing that she forgot to be mad at Snape. Instead, she started to miss him. She wanted to tell him about the perfect forgetfulness potion she had made, or the cure for boils she had adapted to work against a particularly resilient case. But summer was half over and she hadn't even gotten a letter from him yet. A little nagging voice in her head told her that he could be dead, but she suppressed it, even as the Daily Prophet was suppressing news of Voldemort's return. There was nothing she could do to help him, she reminded herself. She was already doing everything she could just by staying out of Voldemort's clutches.


	9. The Order

Snape did not check on Ellie right away. He trusted her to take care of herself for a few weeks at least, and he had other concerns. Between providing information for the Order and pretending to provide information for Voldemort, he had little time for anything else. His fears of bringing Ellie home were well grounded. On his second day back, he received an unexpected guest in the form of Goyle, nominally sent there to deliver a message to Snape. Severus suspected, however, that Goyle also had orders to report on Snape's lifestyle. The way Goyle nosed around "looking for the restroom" made it seem like he was expecting to find the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix hiding in a cupboard somewhere.

It was during one of his forays into the midst of the Death Eaters that he received news on what Ellie was up to.

"I ran into one of your students yesterday, Severus," said Nott conversationally, while they waited for the others to arrive at the Riddle House. "It seems Malcolm has finally swallowed his pride and hired some help."

Snape knew the answer before he asked, but he had to make sure, so he said, "Do you recall the student you met?"

"The name escapes me," replied Nott. "Perhaps I failed to ask. Red hair, rather young, pale as I've ever seen. I do know that she's one of yours, though. She said she couldn't take my order herself because she had to return to classes in the fall. Couldn't invest in a long-term project. It's a real shame, as I could've used the discount."

"Malcolm's letting a school-age child sell potions out of his shop?" asked Snape skeptically.

"That was my thought as well," said Nott, "but she must be good, or Malcolm wouldn't have hired her. I trust his judgement."

Yes, thought Snape, Ellie was more than capable of such a position. He only wished that her job didn't have her brushing shoulders with Death Eaters so often. Still, he wasn't surprised that Ellie had gone running back to Knockturn Alley as soon as his back was turned. The lure of such a place was irresistible to people like Ellie and himself. All that knowledge that Hogwarts denied them, ripe for the taking. Malcolm was surely flaunting his mastery of all the potions Snape hid from his students.

There was no point fighting it now. He needed to focus. Voldemort was still expecting him to deliver some priceless intelligence about how to secure the Potter Prophecy, and he had limited excuses. As soon as Dumbledore gave him the go ahead, he could reveal that there was a copy in the Hall of Prophecy in the Ministry of Magic. Voldemort would realize this himself soon enough, so it was important that Snape be the one to deliver the news. But he had to wait until the Order put their protections in place, or Voldemort really would be able to lay hands on the prophecy.

The Order was already stretched too thin. A bulk of their efforts were dedicated to recruitment and preparation. But convincing allies of Voldemort's return without alerting the ministry wasn't easy. Even obvious muggle-sympathizers like Arthur Weasley were pretending to follow the ministry rhetoric rather than publicly spreading Potter's story. Recruitment, thankfully, was not in Snape's list of duties. It would be far too dangerous to try to steal supporters from within the Death Eater ranks. Everything Snape was doing was dangerous, of course, but he knew what to prioritize. And as much as he wanted his friend Malfoy to join him on the other side, he knew better than to try.

Besides recruitment and guarding the prophecy, everyone in the Order was taking turns guarding precious Harry Potter, who didn't even have the good sense to stay indoors while the world's most dangerous wizard was after him. Reports from other Order members indicated that Potter spent much of his time wandering around his muggle neighborhood, completely unprotected. If it wasn't for the Order members constantly tailing him, he might very well be dead already.

But then again, Voldemort was being more cautious about Harry now. Snape did not presume to know all of Voldemort's plans, but he thought that the Dark Lord was unlikely to make a serious move against the Potter boy until he got his hands on the prophecy. Still, if an opportunity presented itself he would take it. It was the Order's job to act as Potter's brain and prevent such opportunities from manifesting then.

Voldemort had more on his mind than just Potter, though. True, Voldemort was nearly as obsessed with Potter as Dumbledore was, but the Dark Lord was eager to pick up where he left off, before he'd ever heard of Harry Potter. Even as Snape sat in the Riddle House waiting for his turn to speak, there were Death Eaters out there making offers to giants, dementors, werewolves, and worse. The Dark Lord and the Order of the Phoenix were both raising armies, while Harry Potter moped about his muggle house.

Snape was avoiding his own house as much as possible. He returned there to sleep and occasionally eat, but he couldn't really settle in now that Ellie wasn't there. For most of his life, he'd hated that house, but for a few short summers it had felt like home. Now he was back to hating it. He resented the empty rooms and the noise of muggle traffic and the various remnants of a childhood he loathed to think on. There was no time for aimless wandering, however, or pointless reminiscing. He had work to do.

When Voldemort called Snape upstairs, he managed to put Ellie out of his mind and concentrate. The Dark Lord wanted Snape to find out who the next Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher would be, to see if they could be turned. One spy within Hogwarts was good, but they would need more than just Snape if they wanted to gain control of the school. Snape did not hesitate to accept this task, knowing that Dumbledore had not yet found a teacher. It would give him an excuse to stay close to Dumbledore without actually needing to convey any useful information to the Dark Lord.

There was another meeting at Grimmauld place that night. Once again, Dumbledore was absent. As the head of the Order he was free to skip the tedium of these meetings. Snape, however, was obliged to attend whenever possible, even if he had little to report. 

Snape hated that house. It was as good a hideout as anywhere, but Sirius was always lording over it like he was the king of the castle. Nevermind the fact that he had simply inherited the place and done nothing to earn it. In actuality, he had nothing to offer the Order other than this house that belonged to his more notable ancestors. Still, the Order always let him sit in on meetings so he would feel involved. Everytime he opened his mouth, Snape felt an overwhelming urge to knock his teeth out.

Snape generally abstained from comments about guard duty, since it wasn't one of his responsibilities, but Sirius didn't seem to have the same restraint. Without any tasks of his own, he seemed determined to meddle in everyone else's work.

"I think we should have two guards on him at all times," said Sirius.

Snape frowned, but made no comment.

"I understand your concern," said Lupin, "We're all worried about Harry. But we're already working around the clock. We just don't have the manpower…"

"So we're just going to leave him out there, vulnerable to attack?"

"It seems that Voldemort isn't after Harry at the moment, so we should be focused where he's focused. The other guard duty -"

"Is not as important as Harry's life! And I want Dung taken off guard duty as well, I don't trust him."

They went back and forth like this for a while. Molly Weasley took Sirius's side, but Moody agreed with Lupin. Two other order members got up and left during the course of the argument, so it was just the five of them left. Snape wanted to go as well, but he needed to talk to Moody about the foreign wizards Voldemort was recruiting.

After Sirius's third appeal to increase Harry's guard, Snape cooly interrupted, "If you're so worried about Potter just bring him here. Then you can go play with the other children while we attend to real business."

Sirius looked like he was about to start shouting, but Molly interrupted, "Dumbledore wants him to stay with the muggles. Now I don't like it either, but if Dumbledore thinks that is best…"

"It's been nearly a month," said Snape, "That's long enough. I'll speak to Albus about it tomorrow. But as always, we have bigger concerns than Harry Potter. Three of the Dark Lord's emissaries have returned this week with reinforcements. Wizards from France, Italy, and Egypt. The ministry won't be watching them, but we need to…"

Having successfully diverted the conversation, Snape rattled off his information as quickly as he could. Moody knew a few of the names Snape provided, and said he could look into the rest. Sirius glared at Snape throughout, no doubt upset to be shunted from the spotlight yet again.

Snape left quickly, before anyone had a chance to invite him to dinner. Molly had given up on the notion, but Lupin still insisted on asking, despite knowing the answer. Snape returned to, for lack of a better word, his home. As frustrated as he was with Sirius's pointless contributions, Snape understood his sentiments. He would love to put two guards by Ellie's side night and day, but he had to refrain. 

Her safety was still nagging at him, though. He decided that he needed to check on her in order to get some peace. When he got home, he sent in an order form to Mr Mulpepper's apothecary. It was smaller than usual, since he hadn't actually gotten around to any potion-making this summer and his stores were still full, but it was a decent enough excuse. He usually opted to have ingredients delivered in bulk, but he hoped that no one would find it too strange for him to visit an apothecary in person. He was a potions master, after all.

A few days later, on the first of August, Snape went to pick up his order. To his relief, it was Ellie at the counter and not Malcolm. His heart was fit to burst when he walked in. Ellie was calmly measuring and weighing some powders, entirely in her element. She looked like she belonged there, behind the counter at an apothecary. It was good to see her, even if Snape couldn't say everything he wanted to say to her. That would have to wait for a more secure location.

When Ellie looked up, a flicker of something crossed her face. Excitement, perhaps? Or anger. But she stifled it immediately and put on an excellent customer service face. "Good afternoon, Professor. Are you here to pick up your order?"

"Yes," said Snape, "did you have any trouble putting it together?"

He put some weight into the question, hoping Ellie would understand that he wasn't just talking about lacewing flies and powdered bicorn. She seemed to get the underlying question, because she smiled slightly when she replied, "I haven't had any trouble at all."

She reached down below the counter and pulled out a package, ready to go. "I was expecting a larger order," said Ellie. "Does this mean you'll be coming back again this summer?"

Snape got the underlying question there as well. She wanted to know not only why the order was so small, but also whether he would be able to speak with her at all this summer. "No, I'm afraid I haven't had time for any potion-making this summer," said Snape, "I expect I'll be seeing you in September."

Ellie nodded, looking a little sad. "You didn't seem surprised to see me here," said Ellie.

"Word travels fast in certain circles," said Snape. He hoped that Ellie took this to mean, "A Death Eater told me." Ellie knew what sort of circles Snape was in this summer. Her serious expression indicated that she understood the implications of his statement. She knew her clientele well. Not everyone who came through Knockturn Alley was a supporter of the Dark Lord, but the percentage was certainly higher than in the general population.

Snape took out a bag of coins and paid for the ingredients. Ellie counted them and stored them in the register with practiced ease. He wanted to linger, but there was nothing more to say. It was a quiet sort of shop and Malcolm could likely hear every word if he was in the back room. "I'll see you again soon, Ellie. Good luck with the rest of your summer."

"You too," said Ellie seriously.

Ellie was glad to see Snape, even if it was brief. He seemed a little paler and a little thinner than he had a month ago. She supposed that spending so much time deep undercover as a spy was taking its toll. Two days after Snape stopped by, Mr. Nott came in again. Unlike many of the sneaking face-covering clients, Nott liked to stop and chat. He mentioned that he'd run into Snape and told him about Ellie's job. From this, Ellie guessed that she was talking to a Death Eater.

It made her a little nauseous, but she didn't change her behavior. Nott was friendly and outgoing, and it would be strange for Ellie to suddenly act coldly towards him after their second friendly conversation, especially since he was paying her to brew a pepperup potion for his son who had a bit of a cold. Ellie knew his son, of course. He was two years below Ellie in Slytherin. He wasn't nearly as charming as his elderly father, but Ellie had never had any reason to dislike him. Now, however, she was having doubts. If his father was a Death Eater, then he likely echoed the same ideologies.

While Ellie was working on the pepperup potion in the back room the next day, she heard some arguing from the shop. Or at least the sound of Malcolm speaking at a slightly elevated volume, which Ellie had never heard before. Unable to resist, she sidled over to the door to listen in.

"You know my policy, Vilks. You pay the asking price or get out." said Malcolm harshly. "No exceptions."

A low gravelly voice begged, "Please, I've been saving for months, and this is all I have! You're the only one I trust, Malcolm. I need this. I nearly died last month, and I can't go through it again!"

"That's your problem, not mine," said Malcolm firmly. "You can brew it yourself if you're that desperate."

"You know that I can't! I'd mess it up and probably kill myself."

"You can negotiate a price with my apprentice then," said Malcolm. "My rates are fixed."

"I'm not going to let some teenager poison me!" said Vilks. "They don't exactly teach this in school, do they?"

Ellie chose this moment to open the door to the shop. Malcolm acknowledged Ellie with a stiff nod. The customer looked at least as desperate as he sounded. His robes were frayed and patched in places, and hung loosely off his skeletal frame. He looked very ill, and very tired.

"Are you the apprentice, then?" asked Vilks skeptically. "Blimey, you're even younger than I thought you would be. You're what, seventeen?"

"Nearly," said Ellie. She walked over and scanned the pile of coins on the counter. "This is barely enough to cover the ingredients, let alone labor costs."

Vilks narrowed his eyes. "I haven't said what potion I need yet."

"Wolfsbane, I'd imagine," said Ellie calmly. "And you're quite right, it isn't a part of the standard Hogwarts curriculum, but I have brewed it before."

Ellie recognized Vilks as a werewolf right away. It had only taken Yuki two months to realize that their old Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin, was a werewolf. Ellie probably would have noticed eventually, but Yuki beat her to it, and quickly enlightened her to the fact. Ellie supposed that a lot of the older students knew but didn't want to say anything, on account of Lupin being the best Defence teacher they'd ever had.

At first, Ellie had thought that Lupin's hidden nature explained Snape's dislike for the man, but when Ellie asked Snape to confirm Lupin's Lycanthropy, Snape insisted that his bias was not against werewolves in general. Ellie had never gotten the full story of Snape's personal history with Lupin, but Snape had insinuated that Lupin was a part of the gang that had bullied him as a student. His half-human status was tangential to their quarrels. And whatever Snape thought of Lupin, he always brewed the wolfsbane potion perfectly.

When Ellie found out that Snape was making Wolfsbane potions every month, she of course had to learn how to do it herself. Snape let her assist, and then eventually let her practice on her own. It was a bit of a waste of ingredients, since Snape wouldn't actually give Lupin a potion he hadn't brewed himself, but Hogwarts had an incredible budget for ingredients. No wolf had ever taken her potion, but Ellie was confident in her skill.

Vilks seemed uncomfortable with the notion that Ellie could guess his condition so easily, but he also seemed to be re-evaluating his earlier assessment that she was just a dumb teenager. 

"It may be too late, though," said Ellie. "I've lost track of the moon cycle, but from the look of you it must be coming on soon. You need to take wolfsbane every day for a week leading up to the full moon for it to be effective."

"It's a week from today," said Vilks. "If we start tonight, it will be fine. Can you do it?"

"For this price?" said Ellie, gesturing to the pile of coins, "No."

Malcolm cackled and said, "Good for you, girl! Know what you're worth and don't settle for less."

Vilks ignored Malcolm and focused his pleading on Ellie instead. "Please, I can get more. I can pay you back for it."

"Do you have a job?" said Ellie.

"Er, not exactly…" said Vilks. 

This didn't surprise Ellie. Between the social stigma and the monthly illness, it was hard for a werewolf to keep a job. "What you have here will cover the ingredients," said Ellie. "As for the labor cost, I'd like to propose a little trade, if that's alright with you, Mal."

"Be my guest," said Malcolm, "as long as the ingredients are paid for, the rest is up to you."

"I don't know what I have to trade," said Vilks nervously. From the state of his robes, Ellie thought his concerns were justified.

"It won't cost you anything," said Ellie, "I just want to observe your condition under the effects of Wolfsbane. Academic curiosity, you know."

"By observe, you mean…"

"Take your vitals throughout the week. Maybe some blood samples," said Ellie, "and I'd like to observe your transformation."

Vilks balked at this. It seemed he shared Lupin's irrational embarrassment about his wolf-state. "You can't be in the same room as the wolf!" said Vilks, "What if I bite you?"

"If I brew the potion right, you'll keep your mind," said Ellie. "You can think of it as insurance for letting a teenager make your life-altering potion. If I mess it up, you get to kill me. I won't though. It will be perfectly safe."

"That doesn't sound like a fair trade," said Malcolm. "He gets a free potion and you get to risk your life?"

"I get to observe a werewolf firsthand," said Ellie. "You know how I like my little research projects. It's a good opportunity for me. What do you say, Vilks?"

Vilks hesitated for a moment, then held out his hand, "Deal."

Ellie shook the hand firmly then scooped the pile of gold into the register. "Come back in an hour and I'll have your first dose ready."

When Vilks returned an hour later, Ellie had a smoking goblet full of Wolfsbane potion waiting for him. It was a tricky little potion, but she pulled it off without a hitch. Malcolm checked in briefly and voiced his compliments. He gave the final potion his mark of approval as well.

Vilks, however, sniffed it suspiciously. "Granted, it has been a while since I've been able to afford Wolfsbane," said Vilks, "but somehow this smells even worse than I remember."

"I may have made a few small adjustments," said Ellie.

"What kind of adjustments?" asked Vilks, making no move to drink the concoction.

"Don't worry about it," said Ellie, "remember that at the end of the week I'll be betting my life on the success of this potion. It will work."

Vilks grudgingly accepted that explanation and drank the potion with a grimace. "Disgusting," remarked Vilks. "But better than accidentally disemboweling myself. Same time tomorrow?"

"Not so fast," said Ellie, "I need to do my tests. Come on, all my equipment is upstairs."

"Equipment?" asked Vilks nervously.

Ellie sighed and said, "For a werewolf, you're an awful scaredy-cat, you know that?"

Vilks followed Ellie obediently but continued to mumble something about how having a werewolf testing lab in the attic was still fairly ominous.

Ellie was limited by the fact that she was still an underage witch, but no one could say she wasn't resourceful. She had recently acquired some muggle medical equipment that she mostly used when she tested her potions on herself, and admittedly some of it seemed rather frightening to a wizard. The stethoscope and thermometer were fine, but Vilks didn't like the syringes at all.

"Would you prefer the wizard way of drawing blood?" asked Ellie, "I'd be happy to get a knife and a glass vial and do it the old fashioned way. Only I'm underage and couldn't heal you afterwards."

Vilks gulped and said, "No, no, the needle is fine. Have you done this a lot?"

"A fair bit."

"What's all the blood for?"

"I can test it for various properties, magical and mundane. My methods, however, are secret," said Ellie. "And it's useful for blood magic, of course."

"Was that a joke?" said Vilks. "That was a joke, right?"

"Yes, it was a joke," Ellie lied. Though untested, Ellie suspected that werewolf blood had a number of interesting properties that could be useful. Malcolm boasted the largest selection of blood samples of any apothecary in Europe, but werewolf was not one of the options. She thought she could expand the selection a bit. Really, it would be best to collect samples all month long, but if she was limited to only a week she was glad it was the week when the wolf was strongest.

Ellie noted all of her measurements in a little notebook and then sent Vilks on his way. For the next five days, they repeated this process. The hair and blood samples Ellie kept to be tested later when she had permission to use magic again, but the other vitals were interesting as well. Vilks rapidly lost weight over just a few days, and his sense of smell increased dramatically. There was a change in his eye movements that Ellie didn't have the expertise to explain, and a few other little things that would have gone unnoticed if Ellie wasn't looking so closely. Vilks refused to allow himself to be photographed, unfortunately. He was worried it would jeopardize his chances of passing as a full-human someday.

On the day of the change, Ellie met Vilks at his own house. House was a generous word, actually. It was a decrepit shack in the middle of the woods, but with a very well-built basement. As much confidence as Ellie had in her potion, it was still unwise to have a werewolf transform in a busy urban center. Mostly, it would be dangerous for Vilks if he were caught. There were still plenty of wizards who would be more than happy to kill any werewolf on sight.

Vilks drank the potion without complaint this time. "So what sort of tests are you going to run on the wolf? Heart-rate? More blood?"

"Yes, that. But you'll still have your full mental capacities, so I'll be asking you some simple yes or no questions. I might ask you to do some tricks. Not to embarass you, but just to see what you're capable of. We'll keep it indoors, though. No running endurance tests."

"I don't know how much time you'll have for all that," said Vilks, "Wolfsbane puts the wolf to sleep usually. I'm barely conscious for it."

"Usually, yes," said Ellie, "but as I said, I made some small alterations to the potion. It should keep you alert for at least an hour or two after you transform."

"I didn't know you could do that," said Vilks thoughtfully. "I've never really been the wolf. Either I lost my humanity completely or I slept the moon hours away."

"Well now you get to experience it. How are you feeling?"

"Sore," said Vilks. "But no more than any other month. It'll be starting soon."

Ellie locked the door to the basement and settled herself in the little chair, notebook and pen at the ready. The room was a mess. Huge chunks of masonry had been gouged out of the walls and the floor was permanently stained by blood. Ellie felt some pity for Vilks then, seeing the conditions he endured each month. Even with wolfsbane as a respite from the violence of it, the pain of the transformation itself would be tremendous.

Vilks sat self-consciously on the floor, attempting to hide his nudity, and waited for the change to begin. Once it started, though, his absurd propriety vanished. It started as a groan but quickly elevated to a scream, as the transformation took place. Hair sprouted all over his body, and his limbs contorted themselves grotesquely. Ellie could actually hear the bones snapping and realigning under the magical strain. The transformation of the face was the most interesting to watch, as the snout grew and the eyes bulged. The scream became a howl. Ellie took notes.

It took a few minutes for the change to complete, and then Vilks lay on the ground, panting, fully a wolf. Ellie gave him a minute to recover before beginning her questions.

"Vilks, can you look at me?"

He lifted his head.

"If you understand me, can you nod?"

He paused for a moment, then slowly nodded. Ellie supposed that it wasn't a very natural movement for a wolf, but Vilks was still man enough to accomplish it.

"Now, can you shake your head no? Good. From now on you can just nod or shake your head to answer my questions. Do you understand?"

Vilks nodded and stood up and shook himself out. He was rather larger than Ellie had expected, but he looked perfectly calm. 

"Are you in any pain now?"

Vilks shook his head, and Ellie marked it down. There had been a theory that werewolves were violent because they were angered by their constant pain, but that seemed to be out. The transformation was likely a relief.

Ellie asked more questions about his physical health and state of mind, all of which seemed to indicate that he was a very intelligent human currently occupying a wolf form. If werewolves were like this all the time, no one would be afraid. He was like a very obedient dog.

"Alright, on to the physical," said Ellie. "Blood, fur, saliva."

Vilks whined a little when Ellie took the blood, but he didn't lash out. His fur was very soft and clean, but was marred by the numerous scars all over his body. When he was human again Ellie needed to take a closer look at those scars to see how they matched up to the wolf-form ones. Unthinkingly, she patted him on the head when she was done drawing blood. 

"Good boy," said Ellie.

Vilks growled a little, which made Ellie laugh.

"I'm sorry Vilks, but you really do look like a big puppy right now."

In response, he bared his teeth.

"Saliva next, then?"

For this, Ellie was especially cautious. Saliva was supposedly where the curse of the werewolf lived. She wore thick, magically protected gloves, and took only a small sample, which she carefully stored in several more layers of enchanted containers, just to be safe.

"Right, that's everything," said Ellie, "Are you still feeling awake?"

Vilks nodded.

"Good. Time for some tricks, then. The wolf is probably dying for exercise."

At first, Vilks seemed a little embarrassed to be asked to run in place and jump as high as he could from a standstill, but he seemed to warm up to the idea. Soon he was walking on his back legs and rolling over, and even, yes, playing catch. There wasn't quite room to run, but Ellie could throw the balled up rags and he would jump to catch it. His reflexes were incredible, and his speed even more so. 

Eventually, though, he started to get drowsy. Ellie set up a little bed of blankets, and Vilks curled up to sleep. Ellie stroked his fur gently while he drifted off. If he'd been more alert he might have objected, but he was worn out by then, so Ellie got to pet the sleeping wolf. 

Ellie took a little nap of her own then, but set her alarm to wake her up in time to see Vilks transform back. This time, there were no screams or howls. Vilks didn't even wake up. His body just slowly shrank down into its human form as he continued to breathe peacefully. Ellie covered him in a blanket and let him rest.

When he finally woke, he was groggy and sore, but unhurt. "It's been a long time since I woke up after a full moon without the taste of my own blood in my mouth," said Vilks, "Thank you for that."

"You need to rest and recover," said Ellie, "but I have a few more tests and questions first, if that's alright."

Vilks got dressed and wearily answered all the questions Ellie posed about how it had felt to be the wolf. He didn't have the energy to complain about one last blood drawing either. "I know I seem lethargic," said Vilks, "but this is a million times better than I usually feel. I usually can't even move for a day or so after the change."

"Glad I could help," said Ellie. "I think I have everything I need now. I should get going before Malcolm starts to worry that you've eaten me or something."

"Wait," said Vilks quickly, "can we do this again next month? If I can get the money together, I mean."

"Sorry," said Ellie gently, "but I'll be back in school then. Besides, I've already gotten everything I need from this."

Vilks looked very put out by this. "I don't want to go back to clawing myself to death," said Vilks. "I need this cure."

Ellie sighed and said, "Listen, Vilks, I've spent a lot of time studying werewolves. You're fascinating, from a magical theory perspective. I'm trying to understand what makes a magical creature, and whether human wizards are magical creatures. The answers to some of my questions may lie in your blood, or your fur, or your saliva, or just in your history. Wolfsbane is a bandage, not a cure, and I'm not trying to make a cure. Even for the richest among you, wolfsbane isn't a viable long-term solution. Would you like to hear my professional opinion, based on all my research so far?"

Vilks nodded glumly.

"You don't need wolfsbane, Vilks. You need a pack."

"A pack?" asked Vilks, skeptically.

"A group of other werewolves, or even other wolves. You are social animals. You need the attention, and the stimulation a pack provides. You won't resort to hurting yourself if you're properly distracted. Find a pack, Vilks. You don't have to go through this alone."


	10. Another Year

After Ellie's werewolf experiments, her work at Mr Mulpepper's seemed fairly tame. Despite the apothecary's dark reputation, Ellie never made anything more sinister than a love potion or a forgetfulness potion. Most apothecaries got a little extra business around the time that the Hogwarts book list came out, but Malcolm's shop was a bit of an exception, as most parents didn't bring their children into Knockturn Alley to go shopping. A few adults came in looking for the standard ingredients, and Ellie surmised that they were shopping for their children, but only a couple students came in themselves.

When Ellie was minding the counter, Draco Malfoy and his father came in. Draco made some sneering comment about Ellie finding her calling as a shop girl, but the elder Malfoy was much more polite. He, at least, seemed to understand that Ellie was in a position of power, there behind the counter. 

Ellie's late August birthday was lonelier than in years past. Yuki and Phineas were both still abroad and unable to easily send letters. She'd hoped that Snape would have at least sent a card, but she supposed that a birthday was a pretty feeble reason to risk exposing their connection. The ministry might be keeping quiet about Voldemort's return, but someone was watching the post. Ellie had twice received potions orders for the apothecary with a broken seal.

Instead, she celebrated her 17th birthday by taking her apparition test. It was a little more expensive to schedule a private test through the ministry than to take it as a group with other students, but she didn't want to wait another year to take it. It had been a little while since she practiced, but she passed easily. It was a relief, but also made her a little nervous.

She was really an adult now. She could apparate and cast spells and go wherever she pleased. And like most adults, she exercised her new rights by apparating back to work.

Getting on the Hogwarts Express seemed like a step backwards, somehow. She was out there in the real world, working hard, paying rent, and then she was back in her school uniform, heading to an isolated world where she still had a curfew.

When she met Phineas on the platform, he expressed a similar sentiment. "I'm literally a world famous rock-star now," said Phineas as they walked down the aisle looking for an empty compartment. "But I'm also worried that some annoying first years are going to sit with us now that we don't have enough people to fill a compartment. Hogwarts is going to be so weird without Tiberius and Ben."

"I know what you mean," said Ellie, "Do you realize that you are now the oldest student at Hogwarts?"

"Wow I guess you're right," said Phineas, "I knew I was the oldest in our year, but it hasn't quite sunk in… we're really on top, huh? Seventh years."

A bit further down the train, they finally found a satisfactory compartment. Phineas's roommate, Theo, and Ellie's roommate, Donna, were saving a seat for Adrian, who was currently with the prefects. That left just enough room for Ellie, Phineas, and Yuki, whenever she finished her prefect duties.

As soon as they were seated, Phineas nudged Ellie and nodded toward the window. Ellie's stomach lurched. Harry Potter was looking right at her. He looked away quickly and continued further down the train. Ellie wasn't sure if he had really been staring at her, or if he was just looking for an empty compartment. Either way, it tied her stomach in uncomfortable knots.

She'd completely forgotten to be worried about Harry. Guiltily, she realized that she hadn't even thought of Cedric in at least two weeks. Even knowing all the danger that was building up around her, the Prophet and the Ministry had been successful in lulling her into a false sense of security. But seeing Harry knocked that right out of her again. She mentally tallied the suspected Death Eaters she had met that summer. Nott, Malfoy, Avery, Goyle… She'd spent plenty of time worrying about Snape, but had hardly spared a thought for her little brother.

But Harry wasn't looking at her just then, she realized. He just saw a compartment full of seventh year Slytherins who should be avoided at all costs. He had no idea who Ellie was. No inkling of the blood they shared. He hadn't spared a thought for her either. They were perfect strangers.

Theo interrupted her reverie by saying, "Do you reckon he's really a nutter? I mean he's always been a bit strange, but the hallucinations were news to me."

"I believe it," said Donna, "but I dunno about Dumbledore…"

"My mum's always said that Dumbledore was crazy," said Theo, "Letting giants and werewolves and stuff teach at Hogwarts."

"So you don't believe that the Dark Lord is back?" asked Ellie.

Phineas laughed and said, "I think we would have noticed by now if he was."

Ellie didn't know how to counter that without revealing the source of her knowledge, so she changed the topic instead. "So tell us about the life of a rock star. Is it as glamorous as it sounds?"

As the train pulled out of the station, Phineas regaled them with stories about his world tour. Opening for the Weird Sisters was always a little strange, since nobody had ever heard of Tin Man, but Tiberius was such a compelling front-man that the audience was fully on board by the end of their first song. Phineas confessed that the stage fright was still terrible every time, but after surviving an entire tour his confidence was greatly improved.

"We're going to keep Tin Man going," said Phineas, "As soon as I graduate we're going to take it to the next level. Donny - I mean Donaghan Tremlett, the Weird Sisters bassist - thinks we'd be really big in America."

"So what are the others doing while you're stuck at Hogwarts?" asked Theo.

"Writing new music," said Phineas, "and promoting our first album. They're all living in Hogsmeade now so I can join them whenever we have a Hogsmeade weekend. I'll be pretty busy with stuff too, even if I'm usually helping remotely."

"Good for you!" said Ellie, "Your mum must be really proud that you've finally embraced your musical blood."

Phineas grinned and said, "She's thrilled. Marcus is still mad that he's fallen from her favor. He's spent the last year just laying about the house, and his dad isn't pleased. If he doesn't find a job or something soon, he's gonna get kicked out."

"Whoa, are we talking about the same Marcus Flint here?" asked Donna, "Your cousin? Former Quidditch captain, Marcus Flint? I thought he signed with the Kenmare Kestrals."

"He did, but then he got concussed, spent a month in the hospital in the middle of the season, and lost his contract," said Phineas sadly. "I thought he'd find another team to play for, but he's feeling very betrayed by the whole sport. Not sure what he's going to do now."

"That's sad," said Donna, "But I sympathize. I'm not even sure if I'm going to try out this year. After two years of no Quidditch, it just doesn't seem as important anymore."

Both Donna and Adrian had quit Quidditch in their fifth year so that they could focus on exams, and then sincerely regretted that choice when Quidditch was cancelled the next year due to the Triwizard Tournament. On top of that, Montague had gotten the Captain position over Adrian or Donna, despite being younger, because he didn't take any time off. Donna was understandably a little frustrated by this.

"Montague's probably just going to pick his friends anyway," said Theo. "No matter how good you are."

The conversation devolved into wild speculation on who was going to make which house team and how each choice impacted their likelihood of winning the cup. Ellie tuned out after a while, as she always did when Quidditch came up. She livened up again when Adrian and Yuki joined them.

Yuki gave Ellie a big hug and said, "Hey! I can't wait to hear all about your summer, but I can't sit and chat just now. I've got to go patrol the train for a bit."

"Come on," said Phineas, "if Adrian has time to sit down then you do too!"

"Er, not exactly," said Yuki, "I'm Head Girl now."

"What?!" said Ellie and Yuki in unison.

"You didn't say!" said Phineas indignantly.

"I haven't had a chance," said Yuki, "but there's no need to sound that surprised, you know… is it that weird for me to be Head Girl?"

"No, you totally deserve it!" said Ellie quickly, "Only, we haven't had a head boy or girl in Slytherin since… well not since we've been students here at any rate."

"Dumbledore's bias showing through," said Theo sagely.

"Who's Head Boy?" asked Donna.

"The Gryffindor prefect," said Adrian. "We always thought it would be Cedric, you know, so when he died it caused a bit of an upset among us prefects… I'm glad it's not me though. I really don't want to spend my last year hearing about how everyone's dead idol would have done my job better than me."

"What about you, Yuki?" asked Donna, "Do you feel prepared?"

"Well, I spent the whole summer training to be the Head Witch of Oga, Arbiter of Magical Justice and Keeper of Ancient Secrets… so yeah, I think I can handle doling out house points and training fifth years to not abuse their power. Speaking of which, I should go now. Duty calls."

Yuki ducked out quickly and Adrian settled more deeply into his seat, clearly enjoying his relative lack of responsibility.

"Am I the only one who had a boring summer?" asked Donna. "What did the rest of you do?"

"Junior Healer training program," said Theo, "with Adrian."

"Nerds," remarked Donna, affectionately.

"I worked at an apothecary," said Ellie.

"Not just any apothecary," said Adrian, "You were working at my Uncle Mal's apothecary in Knockturn Alley, right?"

"No way!" said Phineas, "I can't believe you went back there. Did Snape come and try to kick you out again? Not that he has any right, now that you're of age."

"Actually, I sold him some ingredients when he came in," said Ellie. "He was pretty calm about it."

"How did that compare to Ollivander's?" asked Phineas. "Working the counter at an apothecary has to be sort of a step down from wandmaker's apprentice, even if it is in a cooler location."

"Honestly, it was better than Ollivander's," said Ellie. "I wasn't just working the counter. I got to brew potions for customers as well. I got to do some really cool stuff…"

"Ooh like what?" asked Donna.

"Er, well we have this client confidentiality policy so I'm not sure I should say…"

"Lame," said Donna, "so tell me more about being a healer, Adrian…"

When Ellie was alone with Phineas and Yuki later, though, she told them all about it, minus customer names. Phineas seemed a little disappointed that Ellie hadn't had a chance to brew any really nefarious potions, but Yuki was only interested in the Vilks story.

"I can't believe you locked yourself in a basement with a werewolf!" said Yuki. "That's just about the dumbest thing you could have done. Your curiosity is going to get you killed someday. What if he'd gone wild and bitten you?"

"I was at the mercy of the man, not the wolf," explained Ellie. "And trust me, that man was no threat. It's not like I was helpless. If something went wrong, I had my wand. But that coward wasn't about to try anything. He was probably afraid of his own shadow, and he was definitely afraid of me."

"Good to know my friend strikes fear into the hearts of werewolves," said Phineas. "That could come in handy one day."

"Why would he be afraid of you, though?" asked Yuki.

"Obviously it's because Ellie is a mad scientist," said Phineas.

"Something like that," said Ellie. "I might have insinuated that I occasionally used blood for unspeakable dark rituals… and I already had quite a lot of his blood at that point."

"And he believed that?" asked Yuki.

Ellie shrugged. "Like I said, he's a bit of a coward. Anyway, want to go see how my classroom forest is doing? I hope it survived the summer without me…"

Snape was relieved to be back at Hogwarts. He would still be at Dumbledore's beck and call, but at least Voldemort expected little of him for the next few months other than keeping a generally close eye on Dumbledore and Potter. True, the tedium of grading his students' pathetic potions attempts was far less important than the careful manipulations he engaged in over the summer, but it was also far easier. He needed the break.

Ever since Potter's run-in with the Dementors over the summer, Snape had been trying to figure out who ordered the attack. Both Dumbledore and Voldemort had assigned him this task. Naturally, everyone's first assumption was that Voldemort had done it, but the Dark Lord was nearly as angry about it as Dumbledore was. He ruthlessly interrogated many of his Death Eaters to discover who had decided to foolishly take the Potter matter into his own hands. It was too soon, he said. He was making great progress without revealing his presence to the larger wizarding world and he didn't want to jeopardize that just yet by openly attacking Dumbledore's favorite celebrity. Additionally, the threat had driven Potter further out of his reach by putting the Order of the Phoenix on high alert.

Lucius Malfoy's position among the Death Eaters was steadily rising. He did a remarkable job of keeping the Minister and the Prophet in check, without resorting to the imperius curse. Snape asked Lucius to help him with his investigative task, but even with all the resources at his disposal, he could make no headway in discovering who Potter's latest enemy was. All he could do was suppress the rumors and manipulate the courts.

The Dark Lord had a theory that Dumbledore himself may be behind the Dementor attack. Since Voldemort was doing such a good job of staying underground, he suspected that the Order might have staged the event in order to alert the wizarding world to the darkness growing around them. If Snape had not been with Dumbledore when he received the news of the attack, he might have bought into this theory himself. 

But Snape was thoroughly convinced that neither Dumbledore nor Voldemort planned that poorly executed attempt at an assassination. There was a third player in this game, and they were all the more dangerous for being unknown to either side. 

That was someone else's problem, though, for the moment. Snape had permission to just be a teacher for the next few weeks while the term got started. The only Death Eater he would be seeing was Lucius, and even then only in his capacity as a school governor. As a favor to Lucius, Snape had recommended Draco as prefect, against his better judgement. Draco certainly had the leadership qualities one looked for in a prefect, but he garnered little respect from the younger students, especially outside his own house. Montague would have been Snape's first choice, as people tended to look up to him and would be more likely to approach him with questions or requests, but he was not about to deny Lucius such a little favor when it could have such huge payoffs later. Montague would be disappointed, of course, but Snape had appointed him Quidditch Captain over some of the older students, so his resentment ought to be short-lived.

The main reason he was glad to be back at Hogwarts, though, was of course Ellie. This summer was the longest period of time they'd gone without seeing each other since he'd first found out that Ellie was a witch. He knew that Ellie was an adult now and would be spending more and more of her time away from her father, but he wasn't willing to let go yet. He'd missed half her life already because he was a Death Eater at the time she was born, and he wasn't going to miss the rest of it for the same reason. 

Fortunately, being at Hogwarts gave him ample opportunities to see Ellie. With Dumbledore standing guard over the castle, there was little risk to their interactions. He missed their conversations more than he had anticipated. There was no one else he could speak to who asked nothing more of him than his company. It had been months since he had a conversation that didn't feel like a game of chess.

Ellie's usual visit to his office wasn't exactly the return to normalcy that he was hoping for, though. There was something different about her. She'd always been a rather serious child, studious and forthright, but there was a new confidence in her, and a new caution. 

"Tell me about your summer," requested Snape, settling in for a long chat. "I imagine you met some interesting customers, working for Malcolm. And I'd like to hear how you ended up there in the first place."

"I'll tell you about my summer," said Ellie slyly, "if you tell me about yours."

"You know that I am not at liberty to talk about that," said Snape. "I do not think I need to explain why."

"What was the point of teaching me occlumency if you weren't going to tell me anything anyway?" said Ellie. "I need to stay informed, for my own safety. And since the Daily Prophet isn't saying anything useful, I have to find another source of information. I thought you would rather I ask you about it than utilize my new connections from my summer job."

Snape felt like that was very nearly a threat, and one that Ellie had put a good deal of effort into constructing. Obviously he wouldn't want her to go digging on her own, but he had never been very effective in stopping her from doing something once she put her mind to it. "Fine," he snapped. "What exactly is it you want to know?"

"I want to know who the Dark Lord's supporters are," said Ellie quickly. "I won't ask you who's in the Order of the Phoenix, but if I'm going to spend the next year hanging out with the children of Death Eaters I want to know who they are. I mean, Malfoy is obvious. At dinner last night he was practically bragging about his father's new position as the Dark Lord's right hand man."

Snape frowned at that news. Lucius was in fact Voldemort's right hand man these days, but Draco shouldn't have known that. If Voldemort found out that Lucius was allowing his teenage son to gain insider knowledge while Voldemort himself was attempting to keep a low profile… well he wouldn't be pleased. And just as Snape wanted to keep Ellie on neutral ground in this fight, he wished the same for Draco. Loudly announcing his affiliations would do him no good, even in Slytherin.

"Did he specifically speak of the Dark Lord?" asked Snape.

"Not exactly," Ellie replied, "but it was pretty obvious what he was getting at. I mean if Crabbe and Goyle could follow the hints then it wasn't exactly subtle, was it?"

"No," said Snape thoughtfully, "I suppose not. But you should know that their parents are also in the Dark Lord's inner circle, so they likely know more than they ought to as well."

"Alright," said Ellie, "Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle… who else? I met Theodore Nott's dad so I'm pretty sure about that one, but Montague seemed to be following Draco's implications as well so his parents may be in on it too."

"Yes to Nott, no to Montague," said Snape, "but Draco's indiscretion is crossing a very obvious line if Montague is aware of the truth. His mother is one of the ministry officials currently working so hard to quell the rumors about last June."

"Not to mention the fact that I could overhear their whole conversation," said Ellie. "If I get the chance, should I tell him to shut up?"

Snape considered the suggestion. Someone ought to put a stop to it, but he'd rather not get involved himself and risk upsetting Lucius. While Lucius appreciated all the positive attention Snape lavished on the boy, he was unlikely to tolerate anyone other than himself telling Draco what to do. And Draco was even less likely to listen.

"I don't know that it will do any good," said Snape, "but you're welcome to try. Do try to focus on your studies, though, and not Draco's bragging."

"Don't worry about that," said Ellie, "I'm always focused on my studies, even when the world is on the brink of war."

"The war has started, Ellie," said Snape sadly.

"I know," Ellie replied. "I haven't forgotten Cedric that quickly."

"You only have a year left in the relative safety of Hogwarts," said Snape. "Make the most of it. I take it you have plans for your next research topic?"

Ellie told him about her plans to continue her research questions from last year, this time expanding the topic from "what makes a magical plant" to "what makes a magical creature." Then she told him about her summer. He wasn't terribly pleased about where she had ended up, but he seemed to have resigned himself to the inevitability of it. He was even less pleased with her little werewolf excursion. 

Seeing his grave response to any mention of werewolves, she skipped most of the details, including the fact that she had modified the potion. She just mentioned that she observed the sleeping wolf and took some samples for further study. Snape was impressed with her potions success, and he had to admit that it was a tempting opportunity. There were few people who were willing to conduct serious research on Lycanthropy, and wolfsbane was still a fairly recent invention. Ellie wasn't after a cure, exactly, but more knowledge of werewolves could only have a positive effect on the wider wizarding world.

"I wouldn't let this become common knowledge, though," said Snape, "especially in front of your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"That Umbridge woman?" said Ellie, "What do you know about her? She didn't really explain herself very well in that speech… or maybe she did but I fell asleep halfway through, so…"

" _ Professor _ Umbridge," cautioned Snape. "Whatever you think of her first impression, you should refer to her with respect. She's rather high up in the Ministry and you wouldn't want to get on her bad side. She was also behind all that anti-werewolf legislation a few years ago, so it may be best not to mention that particular interest."

Ellie took his words to heart. It really wasn't much of a stretch to avoid mentioning werewolves. Ellie was accustomed to hiding her nuanced stance on the dark arts from her various Defence teachers. Her first year, Professor Kamat had not at all appreciated her insinuation that dark creatures were only dark because human wizards treated them badly. And Professor Lupin, while obviously progressive about the status of werewolves in society, was less pleased when Ellie suggested that the imperius curse could be used for good. So she usually kept such thoughts to herself.

This turned out to be remarkably easy in Umbridge's class, as they weren't expected to say or do anything. They just sat there, reading the textbook, for the entire period. There was little opportunity for offence, and Umbridge praised them all profusely for their ability to sit and read quietly, unlike some of the other classes she had taught that week. She said that she was very pleased with the level of discipline shown by the NEWT students, and that they would be an excellent example for their younger peers.

Her purpose was perfectly transparent. By this point, the whole school had heard about how Harry Potter had publicly challenged Umbridge in his very first class with her. Ellie had taken this for the cautionary tale that it was, and complied with the tedious instructions. The Weasley twins, however, looked murderous. They opened their books as instructed, but never made it past the first page. They just stared at the textbook, fuming, for the entire hour. They didn't make a scene, though, for which Ellie was grateful. Ellie knew that the twins had knowledge about the Dark Lord's return, even if Snape refused to tell her whether or not they were in the order, but she didn't think Dumbledore's purpose would be well served by them blurting this out in front of a ministry employee.

The class itself wasn't the worst she'd ever had. Professor Lockhart's lectures had been full of inaccuracies when it came to creatures. And really, reading the textbook wasn't any more boring than Professor Kamat's lectures. There was something a little off-putting about Umbridge's sickly sweet voice, and the condescending way she spoke to the students, but Ellie was at least reasonably confident that this one wasn't a death eater in disguise.

Ellie was a little surprised then to find that Yuki hated Umbridge's class at least as much as the Weasley's did. Ellie didn't notice this at all while they were in the classroom, but Yuki positively exploded with righteous anger as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Can you believe that woman?!" said Yuki. "She's not going to teach us anything at all! I read ahead in the book, and let me tell you, there is NOTHING new in there. How are we expected to pass our NEWTs with her as our teacher?"

"I dunno," said Phineas carefully, "it didn't seem so bad to me. I mean all that stuff about categorizing jinxes is a load of dragon dung, but the chapter on evaluating when it's appropriate to use defensive magic seemed pretty spot on. I mean, I'd never even thought about it before. Like when do we actually need to put this knowledge into use?"

"I've found it useful in duels," said Ellie, "but I didn't see that on the list of acceptable situations."

"I don't care about when to use it," said Yuki, "I'll probably never need it in real life. But I've spent six years studying this stuff and I want to do well on my exams! She's sabotaging us! The curriculum is fine, honestly… if we were first years. But we're not! And did you notice that there is nothing in the syllabus about actually performing the spells? We'll be going into the test blind and out of practice! I won't allow it."

"What do you mean you won't allow it?" asked Phineas. "What could you possibly do to change the ministry-approved curriculum at this point?"

"Well being head girl ought to be good for something," said Yuki. "I'll talk to Professor Snape about it first. He's always teaching us stuff way above our level so I know he'll be on my side about this."

"I doubt it," said Ellie, "I got the impression that he was trying to stay on Umbridge's good side."

"Then I'll talk to Dumbledore about it," said Yuki.

"If Dumbledore had any power over Umbridge she wouldn't be here at all," said Phineas.

"So you want me to just give up?" snapped Yuki. "Just roll over and accept whatever substandard teaching the ministry foists upon us? Are you going to help me or not?"

"You've really been spoiled these last two years with Lupin and Moody," said Ellie. "Substandard teaching of Defence Against the Dark is the norm around here, in case you've forgotten."

"Fine. I'll fix it myself then," said Yuki testily, sweeping off down a side corridor, leaving the bewildered Phineas and Ellie behind. 

"Y'know, I think the Head Girl power's really gone to her head," said Phineas, "thinking she can take on Umbridge and the Ministry single-handedly."

"It's odd that it's never come out before," said Ellie. "I mean she's practically royalty back in Japan. Do you think the sudden power trip is because she's head girl or because she's finally accepted that she'll be leading her clan next year?"

"I dunno, but if I was in her shoes I wouldn't be too fussed about NEWTs," replied Phineas with a shrug. "She's set for life, no matter how badly she does on her exams."

"You're a fine one to talk," said Ellie. "You're already a world famous rock-star, and it's not like you need good grades to be a singer or a writer."

"I'm not quite world famous yet," said Phineas, "but I'm getting there. And yeah, most of my classes are pretty pointless now. If Umbridge doesn't teach us something useful soon I may just drop the class. No one could blame me for it. It's not like it was ever my strongest subject."

"Snape would never let me drop it," said Ellie sadly, "maybe I should be helping Yuki in her crusade after all..."


	11. The Pack

Ellie was saved from having to make a decision about Umbridge's class by Snape making the choice for her. He expressly forbid her from saying or doing anything to upset Umbridge, including dropping the subject. Umbridge seemed to naturally favor the Slytherins, so Ellie was starting from a rather advantageous position. As long as she kept her mouth shut and pretended to believe the ministry's story about last June, she would be fine.

Ellie was amazed by how many people refused to believe that the Dark Lord was back, even after Dumbledore had announced it with such finality at the end of term feast last year. Slytherin was notably divided between people who believed Umbridge and Fudge, and people who knew without a doubt that Voldemort was back but were largely on his side. If there was anyone else like Ellie, who was anti-Voldemort and anti-Fudge, they were wisely keeping their opinions to themselves, even as Ellie was.

Phineas and Yuki seemed to fully believe that Dumbledore was completely bonkers, as was Harry Potter. Ellie didn't try very hard to enlighten them. Unlike some other students at Hogwarts, they were both protected by their blood status, even if Phineas was dangerously close to being a blood traitor with his advanced muggle studies class. It was still safe to leave them in the dark.

Despite Yuki believing most of the nonsense in the Daily Prophet, her fight with Umbridge was escalating quickly. When Umbridge was made Hogwarts High Inquisitor a week into the term, Yuki seemed to take it as a personal offence. She behaved herself in class, refusing to give Umbridge the opportunity to punish her, but outside of class she began rallying people to fight back against the tyranny of her awful teaching methods.

Everyone in Gryffindor who had been ambivalent about a Slytherin Head Girl quickly found their fears to be unfounded. All through September, Yuki gathered testimonials and complaints from students across all four houses, in every year. When they were promised anonymity, nearly everyone had something awful to say about their new Defence teacher.

There was, however, a distinct minority who refused to say anything against her. Some, like Draco, seemed to appreciate the special favors they got from Umbridge, and claimed to be glad that the Ministry was reining Dumbledore in a bit. Others simply seemed to be afraid of her, even with all the precautions Yuki was taking to hide the identities of her informants. Still others, like Ellie, were under strict orders from their parents not to upset the powerful witch.

Even so, Yuki thought she'd built up a rather strong case for firing Umbridge, or at least making her revise the curriculum. But none of the teachers took her attempts seriously. Snape said that there was nothing he could do, and that Yuki would do better to focus on her own studies. She thought that McGonagall would then be more sympathetic, since she did not hide her distaste for Umbridge, but she too claimed that no number of complaints would dislodge Umbridge from her position of power. All of the teachers were too afraid of Umbridge to do anything.

So Yuki turned her attention to Dumbledore, the only one at the school who seemed to outrank Umbridge. But after weeks of trying to arrange a meeting, she'd all but given up. Either Dumbledore was avoiding her, or he didn't spend nearly as much time at Hogwarts as she'd previously believed. Yuki was equally frustrated with Phineas and Ellie, who were making no effort to help her in her vendetta.

"It's just not that important to me," said Phineas, when Yuki tried to get him involved. "I kind of like having such an easy class."

"But what about all the other students who haven't already had 6 years of magical education?" demanded Yuki. "You do realize that this is the ministry-approved curriculum, right? If we don't put a stop to it quickly, it may very well become the new norm! After a few years everyone will think it was always like this and Defence Against the Dark Arts will be ruined for the next generation of Hogwarts students."

"Aren't you being a little too dramatic?" asked Phineas. "Umbridge will be gone by the end of the year, just like every other Defence Professor we've ever had."

"But who will replace her?" said Yuki, "If it's another ministry goon that cares more about creating a compliant working class than educating young witches and wizards, then it won't make any difference that she's gone. She'll still be writing the decrees! And what if they make her Inquisitor position permanent?"

"Ok, ok, we get it," said Ellie. "But we're graduating this year. I mean, you're literally moving to the other side of the planet when this is done! This year will be so much easier for you if you just let it go."

"Don't you want to do what's right?" demanded Yuki. "Not just for yourself, but for everyone?"

"Listen, Yuki," said Phineas calmly, "self-preservation is a time-honored Slytherin trait. You can't really expect Ellie to disobey Professor Snape for the sake of some first years or whatever. It's not like we're stopping you or anything, but we've got our own stuff going on."

"You both refuse to sit next to me in Defence class," said Yuki.

"Yeah, well, we wouldn't want to give Umbridge the wrong idea," said Ellie. "I don't want to burn that bridge quite yet."

"Right, yeah of course, you wouldn't want to give her the idea that we're FRIENDS!" said Yuki sharply. "God forbid she think  _ that _ !"

Yuki grabbed her bag and stormed out of the common room. Phineas sank lower in his chair and continued where he'd left off in his book. Ellie made no move to follow Yuki, but it left a bad taste in her mouth anyway.

Yuki was supposed to be her best friend, but their goals were so at odds with each other now that neither of them were acting like it. Ellie just hoped that Dumbledore would put a stop to it somehow, either by helping Yuki or telling her to let it go.

By the time the first Hogsmeade weekend arrived in early October, Yuki's plans were completely stalled but they were still fighting. It wasn't a huge earth-shattering fight. They still lived in the same room, ate meals together, and worked together in most classes. But Yuki was still clearly frustrated by Ellie's attitude towards Umbridge. This was exacerbated by Umbridge interpreting Ellie's distance from Yuki as support for Umbridge. This earned Ellie high marks, disgustingly sweet smiles from the High Inquisitor, and cutting glares from her best friend.

Snape approved though. There was a consensus among most Slytherins that Umbridge held the real power at Hogwarts now, even more than the Headmaster or the School Governors. And as someone taking her NEWTs this year and trying to start a career, it was Umbridge's favor that would mean the most. Snape didn't like Umbridge much either, but unlike many of the other teachers he refrained from open hostility. Ellie tried to follow his example.

As for the class itself, it really was as useless as Yuki claimed. Ellie was more than capable of learning the theoretical NEWT-level subject matter on her own, but the practical part of the exam would be a challenge if she didn't practice on her own. In exchange for her complacency, Snape offered to teach Ellie himself. Ellie was actually in pretty good shape for her exams after Not-Moody's rigorous curriculum, but that was an offer she couldn't refuse. Ellie thought that Snape was pretty excited about it too, despite already having too much on his plate. He'd always wanted to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, after all, and a class of one was better than nothing.

Meanwhile, Phineas was more and more sure that he was going to drop the class. He was busy writing lyrics for Tin Man and attempting to practice songs and organize recording sessions remotely. The rest of the band was just a few minutes away in Hogsmeade, but because of Hogwarts rules he couldn't see them regularly. Instead, they were sending owls back and forth all day. Their communication was so frequent that Ellie's owl, Nomad, was often borrowed for deliveries as well.

When the long-awaited Hogsmeade weekend finally arrived, Phineas and the rest of Tin Man were booked solid all day. Ellie had hoped to be able to catch up with Tiberius a little, but that didn't seem to be possible. They said that Ellie was free to drop by the studio and watch for a bit, if she promised not to distract Phineas, but that didn't appeal to her very much. It would just further drive home the fact that among her friends, she was the only one who didn't know what she was doing with her future.

Phineas had his band, for better or for worse. Yuki's Head Girlship was just a stepping stone on her way to becoming the Matriarch of the oldest magical community in Japan. Adrian Pucey was already well on his way to becoming a healer. Lucy Abrahams, in Ravenclaw, was applying to muggle Universities. Rumor was that the Weasley twins had already made an offer on a vacant store in Diagon Alley. Even Donna, who had spent the summer sleeping, was set to inherit her parents' business.

Ellie just had two jobs as a shop girl. As much as she'd learned from working with Malcolm, the idea of working in an apothecary for the rest of her life was incredibly depressing. What she needed was a good apprenticeship with someone really interesting to kick start her career. She thought longingly of Not-Moody's recommendation that she work for the Department of Mysteries, and Snape's subsequent order that she stay far away from the place. With the Ministry's current attitude, she couldn't blame him. But still, nothing in the career brochures in Snape's office seemed quite as cool as becoming an Unspeakable.

While Phineas rushed down to Hogsmeade to join up with his cousin, Yuki and Ellie enjoyed a more leisurely breakfast before following. They tried to stick to safe topics like Flitwick's latest lecture and which books had moved to the restricted section over the summer, but the mood was ruined when they ran into Umbridge, who was checking student's names against her list at the gate of the school.

"Miss Nihil," said Umbridge sweetly, "Go on through. Enjoy your visit to Hogsmeade. Wait a moment, Sasahara. I need to check my list."

Umbridge made a show of slowly scanning the list for Yuki's name, even though she hadn't bothered to check Ellie's. Since she was 17, Yuki didn't even need parental permission to go into town, so the threat wasn't very strong. Ellie tried to maintain a neutral expression while a queue formed behind Yuki. For a moment Ellie was afraid that Yuki wouldn't be allowed to leave the school, afraid that Umbridge had done something to limit her permissions, but it turned out that Umbridge was capable of nothing more nefarious than an awkward delay.

"Go ahead, Sasahara," said Umbridge with a smile, "And remember to set a good example for the younger students. As Head Girl, you ought to be on your best behavior at all times."

"Thank you, Professor," said Yuki stiffly, "I'll keep that in mind."

Yuki glared at the ground all the way into town. Ellie tried to breeze past the moment and said, "Er, so where do you reckon we should go first? Three Broomsticks? Honeydukes?"

"How can you be thinking about sweets right now?" demanded Yuki. "That Umbridge woman is up to something. What was all that about being on my best behavior? I'm always on my best behavior! I'm a model student! She's setting me up for something, I can feel it…"

"Listen, I know you're used to being every teacher's favorite," said Ellie, "but you sort of brought this on yourself by going after her first."

"This isn't about me not being a teacher's pet!" Yuki snapped. "You know what, never mind. Clearly you don't care about me, or Hogwarts, or anyone other than yourself. Have fun in Hogsmeade on your own."

With that, Yuki stormed off, leaving Ellie by herself on the path. Some third years had been watching from nearby, but Ellie glared at them and they ran off pretty quickly.

Her Hogsmeade trip was not off to a great start. She'd been really looking forward to it too, as a chance to get off campus for a bit, but now she wished she was safely tucked away in the library with a good book instead. She nearly turned around, since the thought of wandering around Hogsmeade without either of her best friends wasn't very appealing. But then she thought about running into Umbridge on the way back and needing to explain why she wasn't enjoying Hogsmeade after all.

She decided to kill some time at the Three Broomsticks. Some butterbeer might cheer her up, and there was always a good chance of running into someone she knew there. She sat down at a table towards the back with a good view of the room, so she could slide in with some classmates whenever they showed up. It was still early, though, and the place wouldn't be filling up for a while. She ordered a butterbeer and drank it slowly, wishing she'd brought a book.

Before she noticed any classmates, though, someone else took the chair opposite her. The man was wearing a dark hood pulled low over his face, and it took Ellie a moment to figure out how she knew him.

"Vilks?" she asked cautiously. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," said the man in his distinctive gravelly voice. "How've you been, Nihil?"

"Er, fine," said Ellie, trying to get a read on him. It was hard to tell what he was thinking with his face in shadow, but Ellie couldn't blame him for keeping covered up. There were some pretty noticeable self-inflicted scars on his face, that were sure to attract some attention, even if people didn't immediately guess that lycanthropy was the cause. "How have you been?"

"Pretty great actually," said Vilks with a nervous laugh. "I took your advice."

"Advice?"

"Yeah, I uh… found a pack."

"Oh," said Ellie, remembering her parting words to the werewolf. "Congratulations. Who - I mean how did you…"

"Listen, I'd rather not talk about it here," said Vilks. "Want to go for a walk? Unless you were waiting for someone here… I mean, we could talk later if that's better."

"No, now is fine," said Ellie. She was still considering maybe visiting Tin Man's studio later, so there was no better time. And it beat waiting around for some acquaintance to awkwardly chit-chat with. She finished her drink quickly and left some coins on the table, then followed Vilks out the door, ignoring the curious eyes that followed them through the mostly empty pub.

They made small talk while Vilks led the way to a less populated area. Ellie remarked that the cold was setting in early this year, and Vilks commented that he preferred the winter anyway. Ellie made a mental note to consider how the seasons affected the wolf at a later date. They chatted a little about the latest gossip around the magical world. The bassist for the Weird Sisters had recently gotten married. Vilks was interested to hear that Ellie's friend, Phineas, was on good enough terms with the celebrity to be invited, although he hadn't been able to go because of classes.

"So what brings you to Hogsmeade?" asked Ellie, when they were well away from any eavesdroppers.

"Actually," said Vilks, "I was hoping to run into you."

"Me?" said Ellie, incredulously. "What for? You've had one change without me already, and from your mood it must have gone well enough."

"It did," confirmed Vilks. "It was just like you said. Running around with a pack really cut down on the blood lust. I didn't hurt myself at all. It was a really great experience… but not as good as being myself."

"If you're asking me to brew that potion again, I can't," said Ellie gently. "Even if I had the ingredients, which I don't, it's probably too late now. The next full moon is this week, isn't it?"

"Tomorrow," said Vilks, "and I have other plans for this change. But next month…"

"Did you come all the way here to ask me this?" said Ellie. "I've already said no. I'm still a student, you know. I don't have time to develop any really useful studies at the moment, and if I'm not getting anything out of it then it really isn't worth my time. Which is why I recommended finding a pack in the first place. What you need is a long term solution, and I'm not that."

"I know," said Vilks, fiddling with the hem of his robe. "But when I told the others what it was like, they all wanted to try it. It's not much, but when we all come together we can afford to pay you. We can make it worth your while…"

Ellie suddenly felt a chill that had nothing to do with the Autumn wind. Looking around, Ellie realized that she had no idea where they were. They had taken so many turns down side streets and cuts through little gardens that Ellie couldn't even point in the direction of Hogwarts. They were way out on the edge of town now, where the houses were few and the trees were dense. Her shoe dislodged some pebbles in the dirt road and sent them skittering ahead. Despite the pre-noon sunlight, the house up ahead had a haunted, deserted look to it.

"Why not just send a letter?" said Ellie. "Why go through all the trouble of hunting me down in a pub on my one weekend off?"

Vilks made no reply, but Ellie knew the answer. Of course he couldn't put that sort of thing in writing, especially on behalf of a whole pack of werewolves. If the wrong person opened that letter, they would all be hunted down… and the wrong person was currently High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, with every opportunity to access Ellie's mail. But Ellie wished that Vilks had risked it, because now Ellie was alone with a werewolf a day before the full moon, and no one knew where she was.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ellie saw some movement in the trees, which she resolutely ignored. There was no point getting jumpy now, but she slid her hand into her pocket and wrapped her hand around the handle of her wand just in case.

"I should go back into town now. My friends are waiting for me," Ellie lied.

"But what about the potion," insisted Vilks, stepping in front of Ellie. "I can pay for it this time, I promise."

"Then talk to Malcolm," said Ellie sternly. "I'm not interested in any further business with you."

Under the hood, Vilks's eyes flashed dangerously. There was a fearsome desperation there, like an addict. Ellie saw his fist clenched tightly in the pocket of his robe, presumably around a wand. She was on the brink of drawing her own wand in defence, when a change came over him. His eyes widened and the fear lost it's cutting edge. He stumbled backward, seeming to shrink in on himself.

Ellie's glare was intense, but it was unlikely to cause such a reaction, at least until she had her wand out. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and she slowly turned around to see what had caused Vilks to shrink in fear.

Some figures were melting out of the trees behind her. Either she had been followed, or Vilks had deliberately led her into this ambush. The strangers showed clear signs of moonsickness, and Ellie suspected that this was the pack of which Vilks had spoken earlier. Three of the four werewolves hung back a bit, and Vilks slunk off to hover behind their leader, who he was eyeing nervously.

The leader looked more like a werewolf than anyone Ellie had ever seen before. But unlike the rest of his pack, he did not seem weakened by the moonsickness. He showed no signs of fatigue, soreness, or stiff joints that were the usual signifiers of the coming transformation. Instead, he seemed to have embraced the wolf entirely and looked half inhuman already, with the full moon still a day away. His yellowed claw-like fingernails were so long that they hindered his wand grip. Even at a distance of several meters, there was something off about his eyes. And worst of all, he was taunting her with a smile, revealing teeth that had been filed down to dangerous points.

Ellie had never met this man, but she could hazard a guess at his identity from reputation alone. Unless she was very much mistaken, she was face to face with Fenrir Greyback, the most notorious and dangerous werewolf alive today.

"We tried your way, Vilks," said Greyback, pointing his wand at Ellie's chest, "Now we will try my way."

Ellie tightened the grip on her wand, but didn’t draw it from her pocket. She might be able to get it up in time, but then again, Fenrir was already poised and ready. 

She could hear the thumping of her own heart and feel the blood pounding in her ears. Underneath the well-earned fear, she was boiling with anger. Vilks had betrayed her. She had helped him, and he sold her out. 

“Vilks here told us all about your little experiments,” Said Greyback. “You have quite the talent, girl.”

“Told you all about it, did he?” Countered Ellie. “Did he tell you how we played fetch? How he liked it when I scratched behind his ears?”

Vilks blushed furiously as his companions snickered. It was a petty bit of mockery, but Ellie wasn’t feeling particularly noble at the moment.

Greyback laughed too and said, “our new recruit has a lot to learn. But we have much more exciting plans for the full moon, don’t we boys? And you’re going to help us, Ellie Nihil.”

“No,” said Ellie recklessly, “I’m not.”

The pack laughed again, this time at Ellie’s expense. Greyback smiled wickedly and said, “I wasn’t asking.  _ Imperio! _ ”

The sudden spell caught Ellie off guard, and she had no time to raise her wand, but this was one attack that she was always prepared for. She felt the spell wash over her, seeking to cozy up to her well-fortified mind. Stifling her anger, she brushed the invasive magic aside and continued to glare at Greyback.

Silently, she watched his face change from gloating triumph to confusion and then to anger. He hadn’t expected her to resist.

“You were wrong,” Said Ellie icily. “Vilks’s way was better after all. For the right price I might have bent. But this?  _ This  _ is unforgivable. This you will regret. I will not be helping you today, Fenrir Greyback. My mind is a precious thing, and not to be tampered with by the likes of you.”

Greyback’s lips curled in a hideous snarl. Ellie knew it wasn’t wise to taunt the beast, but she just couldn’t resist. Her anger at Greyback's attempted mind control and Vilks's betrayal brought all her suppressed fury bubbling up to the surface. She could feel the blood pumping through her veins, a rapid pulse egging her on. She was filled with an overwhelming urge to fight, to slash, to curse them all to a wriggly pulp. It was nothing like the other fights she’d gotten in as a student, where her driving desire was to get away.

But it was nothing like her other fights in another way. She was outside the safety net of Hogwarts, where help was never far away. She was alone, facing five fully trained adult wizards, with an exceptionally violent leader. The odds were stacked so much against her, that any resistance would be absolutely insane.

In the back of her mind, she heard Snape’s voice telling her to run. It was his desperate shout when Kamat had focused her considerable talents on taking down Ellie as a first year. It resonated and echoed in her mind. It reminded her of how hopeless the fight was, and how poorly matched they really were.

And just like that the spell of rage was broken, and Ellie wanted nothing but to escape. She couldn’t run here. There was nobody to be her second in this duel. There was no convenient teacher’s office to run to. Kamat’s threat had been so limited, so feeble, in comparison to the pack of werewolves thirsting for blood.

But Ellie was older now, and had skills she didn’t have then. She gripped her wand and turned on the spot, focusing hard on the three broomsticks. Before she disaperated, she caught a glimpse of Greyback’s furious face, illuminated by a flash of purple light.


	12. Trouble

Ellie landed in front of the three broomsticks, among a thin crowd of fellow students and residents of Hogsmeade. She had a moment of relief, thinking she’d escaped, before she noticed the pain.

Then it was all she could notice. There was a sharp and biting pain in her upper arm. Before anyone sensed the problem, Ellie hurried off down the alley by the pub. It wasn’t especially dark or private, but at least no one was directly staring at her.

Her first thought was that she had splinched herself, but one glance at the wound banished any such notion. Pulling away the ripped fabric of her robe, she saw a long, shallow slash on her arm, still faintly bubbling from whatever curse had caused it. As she watched, the skin around the cut began to blacken.

She wracked her brain for any curses she knew of that caused skin to blacken and boil off, but nothing came to mind. This was serious dark magic, and she needed help.

She immediately apparated to the Hogwarts gate, the closest she could get without triggering any of the anti-apparition wards. 

“Back so soon, Nihil?” Asked Umbridge, still checking students off her list.

Ellie tried not to let her face betray the terrible pain she was in, and answered, “Er, yes. Forgot to check on my polyjuice potion this morning. If I let it overstew, I’ll fail the whole unit, so I had to rush back…”

“Oh yes, Severus is quite strict with his NEWT students, isn’t he? Even on weekends, hmm?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Said Ellie, wincing slightly. “Excuse me, Professor.”

Ellie brushed past the queue of students just leaving for the day, and tried not to think about what was happening to her arm. The cut itself was throbbing, but her fingers were going numb. Switching her wand to her other hand, she made her way to the dungeons as quickly as her feet could carry her.

Ellie burst into Snape’s Office, one arm swinging freely at her side.

“What’s wrong?” Asked Snape, “If it can wait a few minutes…”

“It can’t!” said Ellie, pointing her wand at the sleeve of her robe and removing it with a hasty severing charm. Snape took a sharp breath in through his teeth, pulled out his wand and immediately started prodding and waving his wand over the injury.

“What caused this?” Asked Snape grimly, “What curse?”

“I don’t know,” Said Ellie, “I didn’t hear. It made a purple light.”

He squeezed Ellie’s hand and asked, “can you feel that?”

Ellie shook her head.

“Sit down,” Said Snape firmly.

“Can you heal it?” Asked Ellie.

“I can try,” said Snape coolly. “Silence, please.”

Snape began to work. He muttered countercurses under his breath and waved his wand over the affected area. For a full minute, there was no noticeable change, but then the blackened areas began to fade and retreat. The cut was still wide open, but curiously not bleeding. 

Ellie started to feel relieved as the last of the black spots went away, and the cut started to look like a normal scrape. Snape changed his murmuring, and a soft greenish mist emanated from the top of his wand. Where it touched the skin, little sparks erupted. At first Ellie found it quite beautiful, but then it started to take effect.

On the bright side, her hand was no longer numb, and she had control over the entire limb again. But on the negative side, her arm now felt like it was being dipped in acid. 

She was afraid a loud noise might break Snape’s concentration, so she cried as quietly as she could.

After an inestimable amount of time, Snape ceased his work with the green mist, and the pain faded to a dull throb.

“Is it over?” Asked Ellie, weak from the ordeal.

“No,” said Snape, “The curse is still in your skin. I’ve driven it back to this area, here, but it still wants to spread.”

“What now?”

In response, Snape summoned a silver knife from the air and said, “If I numb the area, I might miss some of the bad tissue. The curse seems to respond to your pain, and it’s the only way I know to identify it. This is is going to hurt.”

Snape was like the opposite of the friendly nurse who said “this will just pinch a little.” Grimly, he summoned a little wooden dowel and handed it to Ellie. It took a moment for her to realize that it was for her to but down on so she wouldn’t scream or bite her own tongue off. 

Ellie didn’t know enough about curses to dispute Snape’s evaluation, so she followed orders and tried not to whimper too much. She closed her eyes tightly, and waited for the next wave of pain.

It was terrible, and she screamed, but it was over more quickly than she expected. As soon as it was done, Snape poured a generous amount of essence of dittany on the wound, and it closed immediately.

When she dared to look, the only remnant of the curse was a shallow divot in the skin of her arm. It was more of a scar than you usually got in the wizarding world, but a tiny thing compared to the pain of the last hour.

“Is it gone?” Asked Ellie.

“As far as I can tell.” Said Snape. “Not knowing the exact nature of the curse leaves some room for uncertainty, but I can’t detect any more dark magic in the area.”

Ellie sank back into the chair and closed her eyes. After all that pain she was ready to fall asleep right there.

“What happened, Ellie?” Asked Snape, gently but firmly.

“I was attacked,” Said Ellie evasively.

“Yes, I gathered that much,” said Snape, seeing right through that line. “But by who? Another student?”

Ellie hesitated, then shook her head.

“Were you in Hogsmeade?” Asked Snape.

Ellie nodded.

"I'm not in the mood for guessing games," said Snape shortly. "Just spit it out."

"Fine," said Ellie, mustering her energy for what was sure to be an arduous conversation. "I was attacked in Hogsmeade… by Fenrir Greyback's pack."

Snape just scowled thoughtfully and said, "if Greyback is in Hogsmeade right now attacking students, we need to get everyone back to the castle immediately. The full moon -"

"Is tomorrow," said Ellie. "And you don't need to raise the alarms just yet. They were here for me."

"For you?" asked Snape skeptically, "What did they want from you?"

"They wanted wolfsbane potion," said Ellie, "they wanted me to brew it."

Snape frowned and said, "If they wanted wolfsbane they could have gone to Malcolm. Or to me. Why were they going after you?"

"Well," said Ellie, "do you you remember what I said about that wolf this summer? Vilks? How he let me study his change in exchange for my services? Well he was the one who found me today -"

"That explains how they found you, but not why they needed you."

"Well, I think they were trying to keep things under wraps, you know? Going to Mal and asking him to brew a whole pack's worth of wolfsbane would raise some alarms. And there's no way they'd come to you, with Umbridge around -"

"They ran that same risk hunting you down in Hogsmeade," said Snape impatiently. "There's something you're not telling me, Ellie. I don't need legilimency to know that there's more to this. I am going to ask you one more time. Why were they looking for you?"

Realizing there was no point hiding it any longer, she said, "Fine, there's more to the story, alright? When I was doing my experiments on Vilks this summer I may have made a few small changes to the wolfsbane potion…"

"What sort of changes?" asked Snape darkly.

"They were really minor, I swear," said Ellie hurriedly, "there was never any risk of compromising the integrity or effectiveness of the potion. And really, it was such an obvious change I don't know why no one did it before. I know you don't like me inventing potions unsupervised, but I'm an adult now and I think I should be able to -"

"What changes, Ellie?" repeated Snape, more firmly.

"Well, I stewed the pax root first, and didn't put it in until the third stage of the process. And I crushed a little bit of bicorn horn and -"

"Mixed it with the pine ash, I'm guessing," said Snape, without a hint of questioning in his voice. "And likely halved the amount of fairy eggs as well."

"Er, yes actually. But how did you know that? I mean, when you were making it for Professor Lupin, you never mentioned…"

Ellie lapsed into silence, seeing the look on Snape's face. For a moment, she thought he might start shouting, but instead he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing.

"Did it never occur to you," said Snape quietly, "that putting the wolf into a deep sleep was not a side effect of the potion, but an intended feature?"

Ellie was struck dumb by the suggestion. It really had never occurred to her. She had somehow believed that she, a brilliant young potions prodigy, was the first to discover the flaw in the potion. She hadn't even considered the possibility that her mentor, the potions master of Hogwarts, prolific inventor, who had brewed the potion more frequently than perhaps anyone else, had beaten her to the discovery. Furthermore, she had never considered what that "improved" potion could achieve in the hands of someone like Fenrir Greyback. Even Vilks had turned out to not be quite as toothless as he seemed.

"There's nothing we can do about your little experiment now," said Snape gravely, "once the knowledge is out there, you can't take it back. They know what an altered wolfsbane potion would be capable of. But as far as they know, you are the only one who's figured out how to brew it. You're a target now."

Ellie suddenly felt very small, and very childish. "I'm sorry, Professor, I didn't mean to -"

"But you did," said Snape sharply. "I spent years trying to protect you from this world, but I left you alone for two months and you decided to dive in, head first."

If he was trying it make Ellie feel guilty, it was working. "I'm sorry, dad. Alright? I messed up and I'm sorry."

Snape seemed to soften a little, as he always did when Ellie called him dad, rather than Professor. He sighed and said, "I suppose it was inevitable. You were born into this world, after all. At least you aren't a target because of your family connections. You've already made enough of a name for yourself that they may not dig any deeper… of course they won't be happy you got away this time. I'm sure you haven't heard the last of Fenrir Greyback."

Ellie gulped and nodded solemnly. 

"Finish explaining. How did you escape? And how was this other wolf - Vilks - involved?"

"Vilks found me in town. He got me talking and sort of lured me out. He tried to talk me into brewing the potion again for him and his pack - he didn't use names - and he even offered to pay this time. But I refused. That's when Greyback and his pack showed up."

"How many?"

"Five, including Vilks and Greyback. But there could have been more I didn't see. Greyback was much more… insistent… that I make the potion."

"And that's when things got violent?" asked Snape, gesturing to Ellie's arm.

"Well first he tried the imperius curse."

"You resisted?"

"Easily."

"Good girl."

"And when that didn't work, he got pretty mad, so I disapperated. That's when I got this."

"Hmm."

Ellie waited for a more elaborate response, but it didn't seem forthcoming, so she prompted, "What do we do now?"

"We will do nothing today. If you'd gone to Professor Umbridge rather than myself, she would have had The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures out after them in minutes. Greyback may be a predator, but even he must know how to run when he's outmatched. He and his pack will be long gone by now."

"And after today?"

"I can't move against Greyback, Ellie. The Dark Lord is planning to use him. Or perhaps, given that their first offer involved fair payment, they have already struck a deal."

"So we do nothing?"

"No. I warn the headmaster that Greyback's pack was spotted in Hogsmeade a day before the full moon. And you stay in the castle, until further notice. Given your proclivity for finding trouble, I would not consider that 'nothing.'"

Ellie frowned, but made no argument. She wondered if this meant an end to Hogsmeade weekends for the rest of the year, or just until the Headmaster dealt with Greyback.

Ellie spent the rest of the day in her forrest classroom, checking on the ecosystem she had nurtured for the last year. It was lush and green and had no knowledge of the season outside, only the climate she created for it. Her latest addition to the room was an enchanted ceiling, much like the one in the great hall, except that it could be changed to show the stars above, regardless of the weather or time of day. It had been her idea, but in fact it was Professor Sprout who had done most of the charm-work. All of the professors had skills beyond their own teaching disciplines, but Ellie had been a little surprised to find that her Herbology mentor had such a deft hand with subtle charms. She had been reluctant to allow anyone else to work on her pet project, but looking up at the peaceful night sky at 4 in the afternoon, she had to admit that the beauty of the sky made it worthwhile.

By the time she left the room, the outside world was dark as well. She'd missed lunch, and only the grumbling in her stomach forced her to leave her peaceful oasis to catch the very end of dinner in the great hall, where uncomfortable questions awaited.

The hall was half empty when she walked in, and a hope briefly flared up that Phineas and Yuki had already eaten and left, but there was no such luck. Deciding that avoiding them would only draw further attention to their abnormal state of affairs, Ellie plopped down beside Phineas, across from Yuki, and started loading her plate.

"Hey, where were you today?" asked Phineas. "I thought you were going to come watch us rehearse? Tiberius was pretty bummed you didn't show up."

Ellie glanced up at Yuki to see if she had anything to say about it. Possibly a rant about the injustice of respecting teachers' authority, or misplaced trust. But she was just sullenly poking at the remains of the chicken on her plate, and not looking up.

Ellie wondered if she should tell Phineas about the werewolf altercation. She didn't want him to get involved, of course, but he'd proven that he was capable of keeping his head down even if his friend was in trouble, although Yuki probably saw that as a character flaw. 

In any case, she wasn't going to announce anything in the great hall, so Ellie just said, "Sorry, I wasn't in the mood. I just came back to the castle to work on some stuff."

"Well you've got to come next time," said Phineas, "or you might make my cousin cry. I think he misses you a lot more than he's letting on."

This surprised Ellie. Sure, they'd dated for a little while. And been decent friends before. But they'd really drifted apart last spring and only communicated through Phineas. Unsure how to articulate her confusion, she just said, "Oh. Why?"

"Why?" repeated Phineas, incredulously. "Why do you think he misses you? It isn't for your dancing skills, I'll tell you that."

Ellie noticed Donna nearby, straining to hear the latest gossip. More quietly, Ellie said, "Well if he wanted to see me that badly, he would have invited me himself."

Phineas shook his head. "You don't know him like I do. He's trying to play it cool, cause he's like a celebrity or whatever now. But I think graduating has given him a much deeper appreciation for the academic nonsense you're always going on about. Nobody's asked him a thought-provoking magical theory question in months."

Ellie tried to drop the subject. She couldn't be thinking about Tiberius's feelings while she was trying to resolve a rivalry with a dangerous werewolf.

To her surprise, it was Yuki and not Phineas who took offence to this dismissive attitude. Muttering something about how friendship clearly meant nothing to Ellie, Yuki left the table in a huff, meal still unfinished.

Phineas noticed, but graciously said nothing until they had finished and started walking back to the common room on their own.

"So what was that about?" asked Phineas. "Are you two still fighting about Umbridge, or what?"

"Yeah, pretty much," said Ellie. "We sort of got into it when we were going to Hogsmeade, and she went off on her own. I came back here. Did she come to the studio today?"

"For a little while. She came pretty late and didn't stay long, though, so I'm not sure where she was for the rest of the time. She wasn't in a good mood though."

"That's probably my fault," admitted Ellie. "But I don't know what she expects me to do. I can't afford to piss off the ministry right now."

"You don't need to justify it to me, I'm right there with you," said Phineas. "Not that I'm picking sides," he added quickly.

"We're both on her side," said Ellie glumly, "even if she doesn't know it."


	13. Spies?

Ellie and Yuki tried to be casually polite to each other for a little while longer, but Umbridge's next Decree pushed Yuki over the edge.

"No regular meetings of three or more students?" read Phineas off the notice board. "That's not just the clubs, that's every study group in the school. That even includes Quidditch!"

"That's pretty extreme," admitted Ellie, "I wonder what drove her to it."

"What drove her to it?" echoed Yuki, irritably. "She's a tyrant! She wants to control every aspect of life at Hogwarts, right down to the thoughts in our heads! This is obviously an attempt to suppress rebellion!"

Phineas snorted. "Rebellion? Come on, Yuki, this isn't a war."

Ellie privately agreed, but didn't want to anger Yuki further. There was a real war going on, and the ministry was ostensibly outside it, neutral and ignorant. When had strict school rules ever killed anyone, anyway? Umbridge was unpleasant, but not a monster.

Yuki stared at Ellie and demanded, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Well, what are we going to do about it!"

Ellie and Phineas glanced at each other. Clearly neither of them had any intentions of doing anything about it.

"Fine," said Yuki cooly. "There is one good thing about this new rule. Since I don't have that old bat's permission, I won't be spending any more time with you two."

"Come on," said Phineas, "you know that's not what she meant by regular meeting."

"No?" asked Yuki, "Haven't I regularly eaten with you two? Regularly studied with you? Regularly spoken with you? Regularly sat with you before and after class? Regularly talked with you in those chairs, right there, nearly every single night for the last SIX AND HALF YEARS?!"

Ellie didn't know how to respond, but it didn't matter.

"I'm done," said Yuki quietly, turning and walking away.

Yuki was true to her word. She made a point of sitting as far away from them as possible at every meal, even if it meant sitting alone. She no longer seemed to spend any time in the common room, and always feigned sleep as soon as Ellie walked into the dorm room. In potions, Yuki somehow convinced Theo to part with his long-time lab partner Adrian, so she didn't have to pair up with Ellie. She looked more and more irritable in every Defence Against the Dark Arts class, until one day in late November, she didn't show up at all.

For any other student, Ellie might have assumed they were just ditching their least favorite class. But Yuki had never skipped a single class in all their years together, and she wasn’t about to start now and jeopardize her position as head girl.

She exchanged worried glances with Phineas, but neither of them wanted to draw more attention to Yuki’s absence by saying anything out loud. So while Ellie pretended to read the Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook, her mind was busy coming up with increasingly unlikely reasons for Yuki to not be there.

Did some unexpected Head Girl business come up? Was she in the hospital wing? Had she gone to the library and lost track of time? Slept through class? Been kidnapped by werewolves? Or kidnapped by Umbridge?

Her nerves were near a breaking point by the time class ended, and she was ready to go off and scour the castle for her estranged friend as soon as she was dismissed, but she didn’t have a chance.

“Hem hem,” Said Umbridge, as Ellie stuffed the textbook in her bag. “Would you please stay after class for a moment, Miss Nihil?”

Ellie has never heard a classroom of teenagers leave so quickly and silently, like a nest of frightened field mice scattering into the night when the Fox comes poking around. Even Phineas didn’t linger to find out what Umbridge wanted from Ellie.

“Why don’t you accompany me to my office, Miss Nihil,” Said Umbridge sweetly. “We’ll Be more comfortable there, don’t you think?”

Unable to refuse, Ellie followed the professor into her uncomfortably pink office, and perched on the edge of a chair, while Umbridge sat down across from her, behind the desk. Ellie’s chair was just a little too low, and Ellie was forced to look up into the little woman’s eyes, like a young child again. But even as a young child, she’d always known how to stay composed in the face of unjust authority.

“What did you want to discuss, Professor?” Asked Ellie politely.

“You’re a smart young woman, Miss Nihil. Maybe you can guess? Hmmmm? No? Well I’m sure you noticed that Yuki Sasahara was not in class today.”

“Er, yes, Professor…”

“And would you happen to know why that is?”

“Er, no, Professor….”

Umbridge’s smile faltered for a moment, but only for a moment. “I’ve heard that you once harbored ambitions of working at the Ministry, Miss Nihil.”

The abrupt change in topic caught Ellie off guard and it took her a moment to figure out what she was referring to. “Oh! Yeah, I was interested in the Department of Mysteries…”

“An excellent use for your skills, I’m sure. Your research has not gone unnoticed, my dear. And Mrs. Marchbanks - of the charm registration committee, you may recall - informed me that you registered a truly delightful spell in your first year. Such ambition is greatly rewarded in the ministry, especially in a department as important as the department of mysteries. I have several good friends in that department - well I have friends throughout the ministry, of course. But perhaps some of my friends may interest you more than others, hm?”

Ellie suppressed a small spark of hope that threatened to overwhelm her judgement. The last person who’d encouraged her to join the ministry had been a Death Eater in disguise. And Snape had specifically warned her to avoid it, although he’d never explained why. 

Not wanting to encourage this line of conversation, Ellie said, “But they hardly ever hire new Unspeakables. There’s only been one new hire in the last five years, and he transferred from a good position in another department.”

“So you’ve been keeping an eye on their hiring practices? That’s very clever of you. But then maybe you’ve already heard the news?”

“Er, what news?”

“Poor Broderick Bode has been in the hospital for a while now. They’ve been holding his position in the hopes that his condition might improve, but, well… there may be an opening soon.”

Umbridge didn’t look at all upset at that prospect, and Ellie wasn’t feeling all that much concern for Bode’s health either. No other job was quite as alluring. And after all, working at the Ministry had to be safer than working in Diagon Alley.

“Are they, Er, looking for candidates?” Asked Ellie cautiously.

“Not yet, dear, not yet. But of course, at some point my friends could hear some hints that one of my best students has an interest. Among friends, hints can go a long way, don’t you think?”

Ellie got the feeling that Umbridge was fishing for some hints of her own, but Ellie couldn’t think of anything that might be of interest to the Professor. Unless she was looking for some werewolf intel…

“I have many friends in the castle,” continued Umbridge. “And a friend of a friend is almost as good. And we all know what to do with an enemy of my enemy. But what am I to do with a friend of my enemy, who I dearly wish to be a friend? It is such a difficult situation.”

Ellie wasn’t entirely sure which enemy Umbridge was referring to. Dumbledore? Harry Potter? Yuki Sasahara? But she was fairly sure that she was the friend of the enemy in this case.

“Better to err on the side of friendship?” Suggested Ellie without much hope.

To her surprise, Umbridge replied, “Precisely, miss Nihil. One always hopes to have another friend. But we don’t enter such friendships blindly, do we? No sometimes we require some token of friendship, hmm? Some gesture of goodwill?”

Ellie expected that friendship bracelets weren’t the goal here. “Typically tokens are part of an exchange, I think. It goes both ways.”

Umbridge smiled widely and said, “yes, of course. Someone must make the first gesture. It may interest you to know that your… friend… Yuki has dropped my class. It seemed she couldn’t keep up with her other responsibilities and decided to let this obligation go.”

Ellie was grateful for the explanation, but then didn’t understand what information Umbridge wanted. Hadn’t the pretense for inviting Ellie to her office been to ask her where Yuki was? But if she already knew, she must be after something else.

“I was worried earlier in the year that your loyalty to your classmate might prevent you from making the right choices, but I understand that you have not spent much time with her since your last trip to Hogsmeade, when you ran back to the castle to, what was it, dear? Check on some potion?"

"Er, right.." said Ellie, entirely forgetting whatever story she had made up for Umbridge at the time.

"Now you and I both know that's not true," said Umbridge gently.

"It is!" said Ellie quickly, "I went down to the dungeons and -"

"Yes, I know Miss Nihil. But not for the potion, I'm sure. I have it under good authority that you went right to Professor Snape's office."

Ellie did not bother asking how she knew this. Spies were not hard to come by in Hogwarts.

"I saw how upset you were, of course, running back to the castle" continued Umbridge, "and I find it heartening that you trust your head of house enough to confide in him, to tell him what's upsetting you. And I hope you will find me similarly trustworthy. I have a little theory that you got into a fight with your friend, Yuki. Maybe a disagreement over my methods, hmm?"

Ellie thought of the third years who'd been walking down the path behind her and Yuki. Were they informants?

"And maybe you tried to dissuade her from whatever she was up to, hmm?”

This was also uncomfortably true.

“Now of course neither of us would want her to be in any trouble, but I assure you that her little plots will not remain unknown to me for long. But if that information were to be shared with me, friend to friend… well I’m sure we could settle this without any trouble at all.”

So that’s what Umbridge wants, thought Ellie. Intel on Yuki’s plots, in exchange for a job recommendation and, perhaps even more tempting, a lenient punishment for Yuki. The trouble was, Ellie genuinely didn’t know what Yuki was up to any more, even if she wanted to share that information with her new friend.

“Think about it,” said Umbridge.

“I will," Ellie replied.

Ellie did think about it. She thought about it all day. And at the end of it, all she thought was that she couldn’t decide anything without discussing it with her best friends. Phineas was easy to find. After dinner, Ellie told him that she wanted to talk about something with him privately, and that he should meet her in the forest classroom in an hour. 

Yuki, of course, was more of a challenge. After weeks of studiously avoiding each other, Ellie had to physically block the hallway to get Yuki to stop and talk to her.

"We need to talk," said Ellie quietly.

"We have nothing to talk about," said Yuki, dodging around Ellie.

"I spoke with Professor Umbridge today."

Yuki stopped and turned around, glaring. "What did you tell her?"

"Nothing," said Ellie quickly, "yet."

That got Yuki's attention. This time when Ellie asked, Yuki agreed to follow her to the forest classroom.

The three of them sat on the mossy ground, in a perfect equilateral triangle. Ellie didn't want it to seem like this conversation was Phineas and Ellie versus Yuki, although she was sure that's what Yuki was thinking.

"Umbridge wanted to speak with me in her office today," Ellie started. "She told me that you dropped the class."

"There was no point in continuing," said Yuki. "The only surprise is that I was the first to quit. I know both of you have thought about it."

"I thought about it," said Ellie, "but I decided against it because I didn't want to piss off the Hogwarts High Inquisitor."

"Right, because you chose this year to suddenly become a teacher's pet. Some of us have more important priorities."

"Your priorities are going to get you kicked out," said Ellie. 

"Is that what Umbridge called you in for? To threaten me?"

"No, she called me in to give you a way out. If you back off now and I tell her what you've been up to, she'll let it go."

"So she asked you to spy on me?"

"No!" said Ellie, "well, actually, yes… but I'm not, am I? I'm talking to you about it, not her."

"You're talking to me so that you can learn something that you can tell her! Don't think that you're the first person who's tried it, Ellie. You're not that special. She's had people spying on me all year."

"Aren't you tired of it?" asked Ellie, "All you have to do is stop antagonizing her and you can go back to your normal academic life. You're making it so hard on yourself."

"Right, because all you care about here is me. This has nothing to do with whatever little prize she offered you in exchange for your help."

"This IS about you!"

"Can you honestly say you wouldn't get anything out of it?"

Ellie couldn't say that. "She offered to help me get a job at the ministry, Yuki. I  _ need  _ a job. But I wouldn't tell her anything if I thought it would hurt you."

"I see you've taken the bait," scoffed Yuki. "There's the carrot, but where's the stick?"

"Er…" said Phineas.

Ellie suddenly realized that he hadn't said anything at all during the conversation, which wasn't like him. Now that her attention was diverted, she could tell that he'd had something he wanted to say for a while now, but hadn't been able to break into the argument.

"I, uh, also had a conversation with Umbridge today," said Phineas, "about dropping her class. About me dropping it, I mean."

"And?" said Yuki.

"And she said I could. But on pretty much the same conditions… she wanted me to tell her about what you were up to in Hogsmeade."

"Of course she does. I slipped her spies for a few hours and she can't stand not knowing."

"That's not all though," said Phineas. "Yuki… she threatened your dad."

Yuki blanched, "My dad? What does he have to do with this?"

"Well, you're not a British citizen, and Hogwarts isn't an international school. You only get to go here because your dad is an ambassador. So if he wasn't the ambassador…"

"I'd have to leave."

"Can she do that?" asked Ellie. "Could she get him fired?"

"She implied that she would get your whole family deported," said Phineas. "It didn't sound like a bluff."

"That racist bitch," Yuki muttered. "She hated having a foreign head girl. You know she tried to have me removed from my position on my first day?"

"You never told us that," said Ellie.

"Yeah, well I would have hated her anyway," said Yuki. "This isn't just about me, it's about how she's treating all the students."

"And now it's about your dad too," Phineas reminded her. "Is it worth it?"

Yuki sat for a moment, deep in thought. "Is it worth it?" she mused out loud. "Is it worth it to sacrifice the happiness of my friends and family for the good of the rest of the student body?"

"Don't take this the wrong way," said Phineas, "but given that you've accomplished nothing so far, I'd say it's probably not worth it."

"And you can't protect anyone if you're deported," said Ellie.

"I haven't accomplished  _ nothing _ ," said Yuki. "If I thought you wouldn't immediately run off to tell Umbridge about it I might tell you. But this conversation isn't exactly inspiring confidence."

Despite that statement, Ellie thought the conversation was inspiring confidence. At least, Yuki was talking to them and not lashing out as much as she had before. The anger she felt at them recently seemed to have been diverted back to its rightful source: Umbridge.

"We won't tell her anything," said Ellie, "not without your permission. Right, Phin?"

"Right," said Phineas.

"Right." said Yuki. "So she wants to know what I did in Hogsmeade, right?"

"So you did do something!" blurted Phineas, "does this have something to do with that no unapproved meetings stuff?"

"Kind of," said Yuki. "I had originally been planning to meet up with this… group. Cho told me about it. Students like me who were sick of learning nothing in Defence but who really wanted to practice. They were going to form a study group or something. But at the last minute, Cho told me not to come. Apparently, Slytherins weren't welcome."

"Idiots," said Ellie, "you could have really helped them."

"It doesn't matter anyway," said Yuki. "they were caught. That's what prompted the ban, I think. As far as I know, Umbridge shut down that whole operation pretty quickly, and I haven't heard anything about it since."

"Then she already knows what was going on," said Phineas, "so what was she asking us for?"

"Like I said, I was  _ planning  _ to go, but I didn't. Which was pretty lucky for me, because I ran into someone more interesting, and useful, than Cho Chang."

Ellie and Phineas looked appropriately interested during the dramatic pause. Ellie wondered if Yuki had been able to tell anyone else this story yet, or if they were the first to know. Maybe she was so quick to forgive them because she was dying to tell someone about it. If Ellie hadn't confessed her werewolf adventures to Snape she might have forced Yuki into a conversation like this ages ago.

"I ran into the head of the NEWT and OWL testing administration," said Yuki proudly. When Ellie and Phineas looked more confused than impressed, she continued, "I convinced her to let me take the Defence Against the Dark Arts NEWT, even if I dropped the class. Actually, I convinced her to let anyone take the Defence NEWT without the class."

"Wow," said Phineas, "I think all of our classmates would drop Defence if they knew that. It's not like they're learning anything new anyway…"

"Exactly!" said Yuki, "and with students leaving the class in droves, even the ministry would have to acknowledge that Umbridge is a terrible teacher! Or at least that the curriculum sucks. And if people who dropped the class do as well as the ones who didn't, that would show them that her curriculum is entirely useless. But if she knew that we'd be able to take the NEWT without her class…"

"She'd just make it against the rules to drop it," said Ellie, "of course. Hence all the secrecy."

"I was going to slowly convince all the seventh years to drop over the course of the year, so she wouldn't be suspicious."

"But based on my conversation," said Phineas, "she's already suspicious. I think she thought that you convinced me to drop. I tried to explain about the band thing, but she was already convinced it had something to do with you."

"And now I have to be even more careful, because of my dad," said Yuki.

"So I'm guessing this conversation didn't exactly convince you to give up," said Phineas hopelessly.

"No way!" said Yuki, "but I think I'm done with the overt rebellion. Best to let her think she has me cowed."

"And how are you going to make her think that?" asked Ellie.

"You're both going to tell her what I was up to in Hogsmeade. Take the deal."

"But the secrecy -" started Phineas.

"Not about the NEWT stuff. Just about Potter's secret defence group."

"Potter's?" blurted Ellie.

"Didn't I mention? It was his idea," said Yuki, "but never mind that. She already knows about it so it won't hurt anyone. And just tell her I moped around Hogsmeade by myself for the next few hours because they excluded me or something. The point is, she'll think you're on her side."

"And then what?" asked Phineas.

"And then you're going to spy for me."


	14. Spies.

Telling Umbridge about Yuki went pretty much exactly as planned. Phineas and Ellie both approached her separately, as if they'd come to their own conclusions about whose side they wanted to be on. And the fact that their stories matched (nearly) perfectly served to convince her that all Yuki accomplished on her Hogwarts weekend was alienation from two separate friend groups. As agreed, she said she wouldn't punish Yuki for her attempted rebellion. And as promised, she said that she would look into a job for Ellie.

The best part of this arrangement was that Ellie got her best friend trio back. Umbridge expected them to be close, since she was relying on Ellie and Phineas to give her intel on Yuki whenever she decided to make trouble again. And Yuki welcomed them back with open arms, on the condition that their loyalty actually lay with her if it came down to an open fight.

The worst part of this arrangement, was telling Snape everything about it. That is, everything except the fact that Umbridge was helping her get an interview with the Department of Mysteries in exchange for her help. Ellie wasn't sure if Snape's opinion on the department had changes, but she wasn't going to ask about it again until she had an offer letter in her hand. Maybe that would convince him that such a great job would be worth whatever abstract risk he thought resided there. He didn't approve of any of it, of course. But there was nothing he could do to change the situation now.

"I so wish that you would cease to follow my example," said Professor Snape. "Being a spy stuck between two powerful wizards - or witches, in your case - is neither glamorous nor rewarding."

Despite this warning, Snape couldn't help feeling that this situation was better than in the preceding weeks, when Ellie had spent their Sunday meetings moping and sighing over Yuki cutting her off. She'd regained much of her energy since she and her friend had made up. And until Yuki hatched some new plot, Ellie was in Umbridge's good graces, which was the safest place to be at Hogwarts at the moment. And Hogwarts was the safest place to be.

Things between the Order and the Death Eaters were heating up. The department of mysteries was still under round-the-clock guard duty, and the Dark Lord was getting more and more desperate to get inside. Snape had managed to stay out of those plans so far, but winter break was right around the corner and he wouldn't be able to avoid it then. The Dark Lord was expecting him to report for duty as soon as classes concluded.

He'd still made no headway in discovering who was behind Potter's dementor attack over the summer, and he'd all but given up on it. His priority now was with the prophecy. He felt more responsibility for this than any other task he was assigned. Bringing the half-heard prophecy to the Dark Lord had been the worst mistake of his life. Worse than joining him in the first place. And he would risk anything to keep the rest of the prophecy out of his hands. But as far as Voldemort knew, he was doing everything in his power to wheedle the rest of it out of Professor Dumbledore. In truth, he would rather not know. No good ever came of a prophecy.

Ellie drew him back into the conversation by asking the inevitable question about winter break. "Can I go to the Flint Christmas party this year? Phineas invited me again, and I haven't seen Tiberius since he graduated…"

"Now would not be a good time for you to leave the castle, Ellie," said Snape. "Fenrir has indeed joined forces with the Dark Lord, and while he is otherwise occupied at the moment, I do not think he has forgotten your little altercation."

Ellie pouted a little and said, "I knew you'd say that. But really, what are the odds of a werewolf attack at a high profile party? Especially if he's allied with the Death Eaters, several of whom I know will be in attendance."

"Even more reason not to go. You will not miss Lucius's company, I'm sure."

"No, maybe not… but Christmas at the castle is so lonely."

"Not as lonely as death."

"Wow that was grim," said Ellie lightly, "but I see your point. I probably won't be going to any parties till the Dark Lord is defeated for good…"

"No, probably not."

"Then defeat him quickly for me, ok? I wouldn't want to miss out on my prime partying years."

Snape smiled wryly, "No, we wouldn't want that."

Snape was caught up in the usual end of term madness, wrapping things up before the break. Students weren't distracted in the same way they were before summer vacation, but they weren't especially on-task either. Still, it was easier than what Dumbledore would be asking of him soon enough. Any hopes he had of Dumbledore dealing with the werewolves on Ellie's behalf were thoroughly eradicated. Dumbledore was still planning to turn the werewolves to their side, convinced that the "good guys" could offer them a better deal in life than the Dark Lord. Snape was excluded from those plans, as Remus was the keystone of the effort, and Dumbledore feared that Snape was likely to undermine Remus rather than help. Snape could not say this fear was unfounded. So all he could do was keep Ellie inside Hogwarts and hope that the layers of magical protection around the castle would do what he could not.

Preoccupied as he was with potions essays and werewolf worries, he was completely blindsided by the attempt on Arthur Weasley's life just before the start of the break.

He had failed to learn Voldemort's plan to infiltrate the ministry directly with Nagini, and it had very nearly cost the life of one of the most important members of The Order. Dumbledore was less than pleased. It was Snape's job to anticipate such events and prepare the Order to deal with them. But this one had completely slipped by him.

The morning after the attack, Snape was called into Dumbledore's office to discuss it.

"Perhaps I have been holding you back too much, Severus," said Dumbledore. "You have not been spending enough time in their headquarters. Things are falling through the cracks."

Snape didn't like where this was going. "I still have my position as a Professor to maintain," said Snape. "I can't be running off to the Riddle house every evening to check in with their operations. I have office hours. And even if they think I am eager to serve, no Death Eater ever seeks out the company of the Dark Lord that often. He is not easy company to keep."

"Some have. His most loyal. His most eager."

"Yes, Bellatrix did, I suppose. And Malfoy would, if he was not otherwise occupied with his duties in the Ministry. But the Dark Lord knows me too well for that."

"You are our best source of insider knowledge, Severus. If you grow too distant from the inner circle, you will be of no use to me."

"Do not forget that I am also the Dark Lord's best source of insider knowledge. If I see him more often, he will expect me to deliver more information."

"Ah, yes. Always a trade. Voldemort will be expecting something useful soon, no doubt. We must think of something to give him, Severus. I want you with him as much as possible during this break. I want you to check in with whoever he sees. Keep track of what tasks are assigned. Particularly Lucius. He is far too close to the minister…"

Unfortunately, Dumbledore was right about that. Lucius was putting all his effort and a significant amount of coin into strengthening his ties with the current leaders in the Ministry, Fudge and Umbridge included. He'd already used the imperius curse on several ministry employees in an attempt to lay hands on the prophecy. It seemed that it was only a matter of time before he attempted to control the minister himself.

"I will do what I can," said Snape. "I will go tonight, if you can think of some intel to offer the Dark Lord. For instance, if you could tell him how Potter managed to foil his plan this time…"

This was a bit of a ruse, and a transparent one at that. Thus far, Dumbledore had refused to explain how Harry managed to learn about the attack at the ministry. Since Potter was known for knowing things he ought not to know, Snape was not initially surprised. But the more he thought about it, the less he was able to come up with a coherent narrative of the boy's involvement in the matter. All he knew was that Harry was involved somehow. And somehow, as always, he was the hero, despite playing no role in the rescue and recovery himself. Snape very much wanted to know how Potter had achieved it.

Dumbledore did not take the bait. "In time, Severus. I will explain. But something else for now, then. Let's see… Ah, there is Bode's condition."

"What about his condition?"

"It is improving. Not enough to make a full recovery, I'm afraid. The curses laid in the hall of prophecy are quite incurable, I have been assured. But the Dark Lord will want that particular mess to be cleared up, I think. At the very least, he will not want Lucius's role in the incident to come to light so soon. If he is worrying about Bode regaining his wits and telling troubling tales, he may be distracted for a time."

"Not for long," said Snape, "Lucius would have him killed as soon as he got wind of Bode's improved condition."

"Murder is not so easily achieved when the intended victim is under constant surveillance. But yes, I think in time Lucius would find a subtle way of achieving his goal."

Snape clenched his jaw, but did not voice a complaint. If Dumbledore decided that Bode was expendable, then Snape would not be going out of his way to save him. But still, to deliver the information that would assure his early demise…

"They will know soon enough, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly, "there are no secrets in a public hospital. If -"

"I know," Snape said, "If I bring him the news first, it helps our cause. If he finds out in his own time, we gain nothing. I know."

"Then you will bring him this information? Tonight?"

"Yes, tonight."

Snape delivered the information, as promised. There were few men serving the Dark Lord who had the privilege of reporting directly to Voldemort himself, always. But Severus Snape was one of the few. This particular news was of little interest to the Dark Lord, however. He waved it away and told Snape to convey the message to Lucius himself, as it was his mess to clean up. But the message served its purpose. Snape started the conversation on his own terms, proving his loyalty, and putting his master at ease. Or as much as ease as he could be after the events of the previous night.

Stroking Nagini, Voldemort mused, "I am growing tired of Lucius's failures, Severus. The prophecy lies just on the other side of this thin door, and yet none can seem to reach it. But there are others who know the prophecy. Others who heard it."

"I told you all that I know of it, my Lord."

"Yes, years ago, and what has it cost me? Half a prophecy, bringing about my downfall. But I have returned, Severus, stronger than before. What of the other half, though? What do they say of my downfall? Of  _ his _ ? I must know, Severus, or I am crippled. What says the Seer?"

"I have done all I can to extract the memory," said Snape, "even under the influence of veritaserum, she remembers nothing of it."

"Ah, but you know as well as I that veritaserum can be tricked. A sufficiently powerful memory charm can bury that knowledge deep in a person's mind. But there are ways of extracting it, there are ways…"

"I have not your skill in memory charms, my Lord. If I try, I may kill her, or further damage the memory. I will attempt it, if that is your command, my Lord, but if I do…"

"No, no. You know your limits, Severus. It is one of your strengths. You lack the fortitude of mind for such magics. But it is not your fault, no… only the most gifted wizard could do it. I must do it myself."

"Dumbledore insists she stay in the castle, my Lord, it will be difficult to -"

"This task is not for you, Severus. I have already made arrangements. The Seer will not be at Hogwarts for much longer. A few months perhaps, and she will be removed from Dumbledore's protection. Then we will see what she remembers."

Snape knew that he should try to get more information on this plot, but he couldn't risk raising suspicion. This task was not for him. That rebuke was clear enough. The Dark Lord wanted no more questions, and now was not the time to push. Dumbledore would be glad to know of the plot at all. After reporting, maybe then he could investigate further. Whose task was it? Better to say nothing for now, though.

"Yes, my Lord," said Snape.

"I assume," said Voldemort, "that you have heard something of Nagini's adventure from Dumbledore himself?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Then you know of the blood traitor on guard duty? And how quickly he was found? Uncanny, I thought."

"Yes, my Lord, most strange."

"Tell me how he did it. I require details. If we are to infiltrate the department of mysteries, we will need to buy more time than we had last night. Nagini only just escaped…"

Snape knew some of how Dumbledore did it, but not all. He would start with what was safe to tell, what other Death Eaters were sure to discover anyway. He explained what he knew of the story, starting from the point where Dumbledore was somehow made aware of the attack. He told Voldemort which portraits were a part of Dumbledore's intelligence network, and that all of the Weasley children had been sent back to the headquarters of the Order, along with Potter. He repeated the cover-up stories that they had used on Umbridge and the other non-Order Professors. Beyond that, he had no more details.

"You have left out the most interesting part," Voldemort said, when he was satisfied that Snape revealed all he knew, "How did Dumbledore know, within minutes of Nagini's little bite, that their guard had failed?"

"I don't know that, my Lord," said Snape with genuine bitterness, "Dumbledore wouldn't say."

"Ah, then it is fortunate for you that I already know. A most interesting story…"

Snape was caught a little off guard. Was Voldemort about to reveal what Dumbledore had kept hidden from him?

"You see, Potter knew what was happening, because  _ I  _ knew. We share a … special connection, Potter and I. Until last night I was not aware of how deep it ran, but it is clear to me now that the boy has used this connection before. I felt him there, with me last night. A snake can only hold so many minds, Severus. I felt his presence. He saw what I saw. And what we saw, he reported to his precious mentor. Such a hero…"

Snape was trying to wrap his head around this vague explanation. Something about their connection let Potter see into the mind of the Dark Lord. "Was it possession, my Lord?"

"I am not yet so weak as to succumb to possession by a child, Severus," said Voldemort cooly, "He has only the power to see, to feel. But my mind is stronger than his, Severus. I have been unaware of it until now, but now that I am aware… his mind is weak. Open. I think… yes, I think I may use this connection myself, when the time is right."

Severus did not like the sound of that at all. If the Dark Lord could use this connection to see into Harry's mind directly, their cause was doomed. Dumbledore had told him too many plans already. He spent too much time in the Order. Too much time knowing things he really shouldn't know. It was like he'd always said. Harry had never been an asset to the cause, only a weakness. A weak wall to be breached. And now the Dark Lord had just the tool to do it.

"Keep watching him for me, Severus," continued Voldemort. "His spying mind will not catch me unawares again, but watch him nonetheless. I cannot yet see what he sees, but you can."

Snape did not wait to report his findings to Dumbledore. After a brief conversation with Lucius about Bode's unfortunate improvement, he returned to the castle, intending to wake Dumbledore up if need be. As it turned out, there was no need. Dumbledore was writing a letter at his desk, in his dressing gown, when Snape arrived back at 2 in the morning.

He briefly summarized what Voldemort had said about Trelwaney leaving the school soon, then moved on to the meat of the matter. Harry Potter was seeing into Voldemort's mind and the Dark Lord was planning to exploit that weakness himself before long. Snape was irritated to find out that Dumbledore already knew all about Potter's visions and yet had somehow failed to ever mention this crucial information to Snape before.

"I do not keep all my eggs in one basket, Severus. You know that."

"And yet you continue to include the boy in all your schemes, even knowing of his weakness. A direct link to the mind of the enemy! A direct link, currently residing in the headquarters of the resistance! He should be locked up somewhere he can't do any harm."

"I'm relieved to hear you feel that way, Severus," said Dumbledore mildly, "I had feared you would see that link as a weapon to be used against the Dark Lord. Most would, you know."

Snape opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again in a fierce scowl. It hadn't even occurred to him that they could intentionally use the connection themselves. He should have realized it, given that Potter's vision had just saved Weasley's life 24 hours before. But children weren't tools for winning wars, even Chosen Ones. Snape had been barely more than a child when he'd been made a tool. And so had Lily. It got her killed, and countless others. Her children weren't going to suffer the same fate.

Besides, Snape stood by his initial reaction. Potter's link to the Dark Lord could get them all killed.

"I don't think he could control the power," said Snape. "He doesn't have the strength of mind for it."

"For all our sakes, I hope his mind is stronger than you fear."

"So what are we going to do about it?" asked Snape impatiently.

"For now, nothing," said Dumbledore. "It sounds like Voldemort is approaching this discovery with caution as well, so we don't need to worry just yet. If he expresses an interest in using it in the next few weeks, do let me know."

"Your plan is to do nothing."

"My plan is to plan, before jumping to some hasty conclusion," said Dumbledore gently, "I will be thinking about it, Severus. You have done enough for tonight."

_ This is not your task _ , thought Snape. No more questions. Playing servant spy to the two most powerful wizards in the world was truly a thankless job.

"And what about Sybill? Are you going to leave her to her fate as well?"

"I think…" said Dumbledore, "Yes, I think it is time I start searching for a new divination teacher."

The next morning, Snape was exhausted and wanted to sleep in, but he had to keep up appearances. No one was supposed to know that he spent the evening hours deep undercover with the forces of darkness. So he dragged himself to an early breakfast, which mostly consisted of coffee, then made his way back to his office where he hoped to catch a quick nap before diving back into his work.

Just as he was putting his head down on the desk, though, there was a knock at the door. Most of the students had already left for the break, so he was hoping for a little peace and quiet. But at Hogwarts, that was always too much to hope for. He unlocked the door with his wand and said, "Come in."

Ellie walked in, closing the door behind her. Usually morning visits meant trouble, but she looked pretty cheerful. "Hey, Dad! How was your first day of vacation?"

Snape sighed. She was just here for a casual chat, which he usually enjoyed, but he was so tired. "I don't have a vacation, Ellie."

"Oh," said Ellie, looking a little disappointed.

Feeling guilty for ruining her good mood, he tried to smile and asked, "How was your first day of vacation? Not too boring without your friends, I hope?"

"You know, I thought it would be. But I got a very interesting letter just in time to liven things up."

"A letter? From whom?"

" _ Modern Herbology _ !" said Ellie excitedly, "They accepted my paper submission! My indoor forest project was even chosen for the featured article! It'll be on the front page and everything."

"That's great news," said Snape, "you should be very proud of yourself."

"I'm sure it helped that I had a few Professors as co-authors. I don't think it would be featured content without Professor Sprout's contributions, or Hagrid's for that matter."

"They helped," acknowledged Snape, "but it was your idea, and you did most of the work. You more than earned the right to be the first name listed on that paper. It's incredible work, Ellie. If you saw the trash most seventh years are submitting… but no your work is on a different level. Professional."

"Thanks," said Ellie with a grin, "so you agree that the independent studies were worth it, right? More valuable than another NEWT class?"

"I'll admit, having multiple professional publications on your resume won't hurt your job prospects. But as you know, many careers require certain NEWTs."

"I know, I know. I just don't think NEWTs are all they're cracked up to be…"

"I do hope you're not here to ask permission to drop another class. Umbridge wasn't happy about either of your friends dropping, and I don't imagine quitting her class would do you any favors either."

"No, I know I can't drop Defence Against the Dark Arts. It wouldn't really be sending the right message…"

"I sense that there is a 'however' forthcoming."

" _ However _ ," continued Ellie, obligingly, "I don't really see a future for myself in charms."

"Charms are important, Ellie," said Snape, "most wizards use them every single day."

"I know that. And I've gotten better at simple daily spells, I really have! But, well, have you seen my charms grades recently? Has Professor Flitwick mentioned anything?"

Snape hadn't had a one-on-one conversation with Flitwick in weeks. Any of the teachers who weren't in the Order had simply fallen off his radar. He had no reason to discuss things with them. Except, of course, in his capacity as Ellie's father. All of them knew that Snape was responsible for Ellie's life in the wizarding world, since they all knew she grew up as an Orphan. Most, but not all, knew that Snape had officially adopted her. Only Dumbledore knew that their relationship predated Ellie's admittance to Hogwarts. And none knew that he was actually her biological father.

Fortunately for Ellie, her physical appearance bore little resemblance to her father, aside from the pale skin, and maybe something in the eyes. The red hair she got from her mother's side of the family. As a young girl, she'd looked more like Petunia than any of her other relatives. But now that she was older and had a healthy amount of body fat, she looked most like her maternal grandmother. Since her mother's side of the family was muggles and she looked nothing like Snape, people were unlikely to make the connection on looks alone. 

"If I were to talk to Professor Flitwick," said Snape, "what would he have to say?"

"He would probably tell you that I'm going to fail my NEWT. Not the theory part, of course. I know my theory. That's what saved me on the OWL… but the practical is doomed. I just can't handle NEWT standard spells. Ask anyone."

"I thought you were doing well with nonverbal spells," said Snape.

"I was," Ellie replied, "I am. The trouble is, I'm about as good with nonverbal as I am with verbal. Which is to say, not very good. Now that everyone else in the class has caught up with the challenges of nonverbal magic, I'm back to being the bottom of the class."

"And your solution to this is to quit, rather than study, which is what every other student in history has ever done?"

"I passed the OWL. Isn't that enough?"

"You're so close, though, Ellie. Only a few more months."

"Only a few more months till I fail my NEWT, you mean. What's the point of taking the class if I know I'm going to fail in the end? I want to put more time into my independent studies. I've been working on my werewolf research with Professor Babbling, and I think it's really going somewhere. If I had more time for it, I might even be able to crank out another impressive publication before I graduate."

"I understand," said Snape, "but I think you'll regret it. You can't know you'll fail until you try. You didn't think you could pass all your OWLs either, but you pulled through. And you will still be able to do research after you graduate."

"OWLs were different. I had you to tutor me."

"I can help you study for your NEWTs."

"No you can't," said Ellie, "you don't have the time."

She had a point about that. He'd always had a busy schedule, but it was nothing compared to everything he had to do now that the Dark Lord was at work again. "I can make time for you," he said uncertainly, "This is about your future. It's important."

"More important than defeating the Dark Lord?" asked Ellie shrewdly, "More important than protecting Harry?"

He had no answer to that. No was the answer. He was already stretched thin with all his responsibilities. Maybe he couldn't help.

"Where were you last night?" asked Ellie.

"Working."

"But not Hogwarts work, right? Dangerous work?"

Snape thought of the time he'd spent in the same room as the Dark Lord, who would kill him in a heartbeat if he overheard any of this conversation. "Yes."

"That's what I thought," said Ellie. "If you won't let me join you, if you won't let me fight, then at least I can help by not distracting you from your duty. Just let me drop Charms."

"No," said Snape definitively. "If you fail, I won't chastise you. But you have to try. This opportunity won't come again, and I won't have you quitting because you're afraid to fail."

Sensing his resolve on the matter, Ellie huffed and said, "Fine. I'll leave you to your work. Try not to die before I take that NEWT though. I want to say I told you so."


	15. Interviews and Espionage

The rest of Snape's break was as busy as the first day. He was constantly bouncing between Dumbledore's office, Voldemort's hideout, the Headquarters of the Order, and Lucius's house. And every time he stopped by his office for a break, Ellie would find him to discuss some small matter or other. On one hand, he enjoyed their conversations, but on the other hand he was constantly distracted by the larger issues at hand, and felt guilty about always needing to send her away before she was done talking. He almost wished that he'd let Ellie stay with Phineas's family for the break, despite the risks.

A few days before classes were to resume, Snape's vacation took a distinctive turn for the worse. He'd thought that Harry's visions were entirely someone else's responsibility now, but Dumbledore didn't feel the same way.

"You want  _ me  _ to teach him Occlumency?" asked Snape incredulously. What had he done to deserve extra lessons with Potter? Was this a punishment?

"You're the only one who can, Severus."

"It's a pointless effort. I have been grading his work for four and a half years now. He doesn't have the skill for it."

"I have always found his skills to be above average."

"Chance and luck and clever friends," Snape spat in reply. "He is a wizard of common talent, at best, and Occlumency is not an art suited for common wizards."

"An uncommonly talented teacher may help him rise to the challenge, don't you think? If Remus was able to teach him the patronus…"

"Don't try your flattery, or stoking that old rivalry, or whatever you think it is that you are doing. I am not and never have been an uncommonly talented  _ teacher _ , only a great wizard in my own right. If it's a teacher of Occlumency he needs, you should do it yourself."

"Ah, would that I could, Severus. But I cannot risk it, not with his connection to Voldemort. I cannot grant Harry access to my memories, even accidentally for a moment. And if Voldemort were to exploit that link - well I don't need to tell you how disastrous those consequences would be."

"And what of my memories? You know as well as I that practicing legilimency opens my mind for attack as well. I have my own memories to protect. Things he shouldn't - can't - ever see. Things he wouldn't understand…"

"That is why it must be you, Severus. I may be a more accomplished legilimens than you, and Voldemort is yet greater than both of us. But you outstrip us both in your skill with occlumency. If anyone could protect their mind against intentional or accidental penetration, it is you."

Snape wanted to argue. Was there really any wizard who was greater than Dumbledore at anything? But it had occasionally occurred to Snape that he may be the most accomplished Occlumens in the world, possibly ever. Voldemort feared Dumbledore too much to test his limits. But Snape's strength and strategies had been tested every day, by both Voldemort and Dumbledore. He had the skill. But the skill to teach such a power was something else entirely.

"Maybe I could face Potter without leaving my mind open," said Snape, "but that doesn't mean he will be able to learn anything from me. He has been my student for years and I don't think I've managed to make a single idea stick in that inflated head of his."

"You were successful in teaching Ellie," said Dumbledore.

Snape glared in response. Dumbledore wasn't supposed to know that Ellie had learned Occlumency. If he knew, then that meant he had already attempted to use legilimency against her.

"You taught her extraordinarily well," Dumbledore assured him, "I was unable to infiltrate her mind at all. And she was doing it unconsciously, unaware that I was already putting my full effort into it. I am glad that you had the forethought to teach her, on the off chance she came face to face with Voldemort. It seems my fears that she would become your weakness were unfounded. You've prepared her well."

Dumbledore was wrong about that. Ellie was still Snape's weakness, no matter how prepared she was.

"If you could make her a master in just a few months," continued Dumbledore, "Then surely you can manage to teach Potter the most rudimentary basics in the same amount of time?"

"If he shows more aptitude for it than he does for potions, I might be able to teach him some little piece of the power I have. But Ellie took to it naturally. She already had years of practice in controlling her emotions. Potter has always been too rash and hotheaded for such an effort."

"I have complete faith in both of you," said Snape, "because if he cannot learn to control this connection, it will lead us all to our deaths."

Snape wished that statement was hyperbolic, but he had heard firsthand that Voldemort was planning to exploit their connection at some point. "Do you understand the risks," asked Snape, "if he fails to learn Occlumency?"

"Yes, you have said that Voldemort -"

"Not that risk. If I attack his mind and he does not learn to defend himself, it may weaken him. It might make him still more vulnerable to the Dark Lord's influence. If you are wrong about his supposed skill in magic, and I am right about his ineptitude, my tutelage may make the situation worse. I assure you I will not be going easy on him. I am not a gentle teacher."

"No," said Dumbledore, "no you are not… but it is worth the risk I think. You will start as soon as he gets back to Hogwarts. You should go tomorrow to tell him of this. It can't be put in writing, and it cannot wait."

"As you command,” said Snape bitterly, turning to leave.

"Oh, and Severus," said Dumbledore, "about those memories you wish to keep to yourself… you may borrow my pensieve for your lessons. Just in case."

Ellie's break wasn't quite as much fun as it would have been with her friends, but at least she could say it was productive. She'd forgotten how many books she was capable of reading when she didn't have friends to distract her. She made time to see Snape, knowing that she would be buried in NEWT prep for the rest of the year, but the rest of the time she was in deep study mode.

She'd put the finishing touches on her indoor forest, which was now self sufficient. Dumbledore even asked her if he might be able to use it as a classroom again, presumably for Herbology or Care of Magical creatures. She was only too happy to oblige, in exchange for a new location for her independent studies. 

Professor Babbling was a surprisingly good advisor for Ellie's magical theory research. She hadn't thought that an Ancient Runes Professor would have much to contribute to the question of what makes a magical creature a magical creature. But she actually had read more on the topic than Ellie had, and was a great resource for recommending books to support research. Her Professors were always surprising and impressing her.

With her new lab setup, Ellie was finally able to start processing the samples she'd collected from Vilks over the summer. And Professor Babbling didn't even seem to mind her interest in blood magic! Starting with revelio, and working her way up to more in-depth experiments, Ellie discovered a number of interesting properties in the hair and blood samples that didn't show up in human samples. And most interesting of all, there was little difference in the magical properties of the samples taken before, during, and after the transformation. It seemed that a werewolf was a magical creature all month long.

She didn't at all like the way the nail clippings reacted to her silver mixture, although it didn't react quite as violently as the saliva did. Still, it indicated that a werewolf scratch might also have the ability to spread lycanthropy. If she could prove that, it would be a major find, since previously only bites were known to spread the disease.

All of that was tangential to the big question though, about the inherent magical qualities of magical creatures, and whether a magical creature could be created from a non magical creature. Ellie had already proved it possible with plants, so animals were the next logical step. She wasn't about to turn lab mice into were-mice or anything, but studying the werewolf was the closest she could come to the phenomenon that interested her, for now.

Aside from her academic interest, though, she had a personal stake in things. She hadn't heard anything from Vilks or Fenrir since October, but that didn't mean they'd forgotten about her. And if she was attacked, she wanted to know what to expect. And maybe, something in this research would help her put a stop to them for good. At this point, she didn't care if it was a cure or a fatal weakness. But she couldn't hide inside Hogwarts forever, and eventually she was going to have to face the consequences of her most dangerous experiment to date.

Snape's first occlumency lesson with Harry was terrible. The boy had none of Ellie's natural inclination for the subject, and Snape could tell that he wasn't putting any effort into controlling his emotions. Snape spoke to Dumbledore again, asking him to take over the lessons or possibly just give up, but his orders were clear.

Each time Snape touched Harry's mind, he could feel how much the boy hated him. It was the first thought in his head. It was a way in, a weakness, but one that hurt Snape every time he exploited it. He'd already spent most of his life hating himself, and getting Harry's hatred mixed up with his own in his mind wasn't exactly a fun experience. He left the session more confused and angry than Harry did. It was frustrating and he wanted it to be done with, but he had a terrible premonition that Harry wasn't going to make progress very quickly.

At least he had something useful to report to Dumbledore. Potter was still spending time in Voldemort's mind while the boy slept. And Voldemort's mind was still dwelling on the Department of Mysteries.

To make matters worse, he was summoned to Voldemort's side mere hours after the session, when his defences were at their weakest. He could feel the resentment bubbling up in him like an over stewed potion, but he had to lock all that away for the sake of his cover. He had to maintain his calm.

Calm was hard to achieve in that particular meeting. Voldemort had some good news to report. Some great news. The dementors had grown tired of their weak prey in Azkaban. After months of strange and secret negotiations, the dementors had decided to join forces with the Dark Lord, their natural ally.

For the first time since the trials of the last war, Snape came face to face with the Death Eaters who never strayed from the Dark Lord's paths. The ones who cut no deals. The brave ones. The foolish ones. The pure zealous followers. Travers, Rookwood, Dolohov, Lestrange… and Mulciber.

Mulciber had been his classmate at Hogwarts, and one of his closest friends. He, Snape, and Avery had been as thick as thieves upon a time. But he didn't seem happy to reunite now. He did not even deign to acknowledge Snape's presence. He had Avery to celebrate with, but he had long since stopped caring about Severus.

Snape tried to join the celebratory atmosphere, but he was not entirely convincing. It's not as if all the Death Eaters were friends. He and Bellatrix had never trusted each other, even before Snape actually switched sides. Avery was jealous of his power. Rookwood looked down on him for his name, if nothing else. Snape was Voldemort's pet spy, and that was all he needed to be to earn a seat at this celebration.

Thankfully, he was quickly given an excuse to leave. Voldemort ordered Snape to return to Dumbledore and deliver the happy news. The whole world would be reading about it tomorrow, but he wanted Snape to be the one to deliver the news. His reasoning was much the same as Dumbledore's. You have to give him something, or he will grow suspicious of you. Go, be a good spy and tell him only what I told you to tell.

Both Dumbledore and Voldemort were giving him the same orders. Both trusted and distrusted him in equal parts. And neither could see enough of Snape's mind to be 100% sure of his allegiance. Only Snape knew which master he truly obeyed. Well, Snape and Ellie.

He returned to Dumbledore with great haste and delivered the news with significantly more detail than Voldemort would have liked. He had expected anger or at least surprise from the headmaster, but he took the news rather well.

"I tried to warn Fudge that this would happen," Dumbledore explained, "I knew that this was his intent. But so soon, so soon… Is he ready to come out of hiding already? Will he fight us in the open now?"

"I don't think so," said Snape, "Lucius was absent. I think he was working on a cover-up. And the way the Dark Lord was speaking about the return of his followers… He was organizing them into the existing structure. Giving them honors and positions above those of us who had been serving alongside him this last year. It did not sound like a coming out."

"Did they all accept this change? Will there be dissent?"

"There are some who will be unhappy about their demotion. Avery, Goyle… Lucius still landed on top. There won't be enough conflict to benefit us. When the Dark Lord gives orders, we fall in line without question."

"A shame," said Dumbledore, "How many have joined, again?"

"Every Death Eater who was imprisoned in Azkaban. Everyone who is still alive, that is. Ten of them. But each one is worth ten ordinary wizards in their own right."

"Yes, Severus, it is a heavy blow. But not unanticipated. This does not change our plans."

"It should," said Snape, "how long can we keep him out of the Department of Mysteries with Rookwood in his ranks? It may be time to move the prophecy to a safer location."

"We cannot move the prophecy,"

"But with a former unspeakable, they will soon -"

"You misunderstand me Severus, neither you nor I nor anyone in the Order nor in Voldemort's growing ranks can remove the prophecy. Rookwood will know this. When Voldemort asks, he will be told… How many Death Eaters know what Voldemort seeks in the Department of Mysteries?"

"Only a few," said Snape, "it is highly privileged information."

"Good, that may buy us some time. Voldemort will want to test Rookwood's resolve before seeking his wisdom. A few days or weeks maybe, but no more… The most important thing now is that Harry learns Occlumency. This is the highest priority, do you understand?"

"It's hopeless," Snape said in exacerbation, "the boy is exactly as I said. Undisciplined and unwilling to learn. I did impress upon him the importance of these lessons, but I guarantee he will put no more effort into his practice than he does for the rest of his inadequate homework."

"That is between you and Potter," said Dumbledore dismissively, "do not disappoint me, Severus."

The next day, the news of the Azkaban breakout was the main topic of conversation among teachers and students alike. Ellie, like most students, didn't read the news every day, so she didn't hear about it until midmorning, between classes.

"I'd almost forgotten about Black's escape," said Phineas, "I kind of assumed he'd died or gone into hiding or something. But actually going back to Azkaban and breaking out the rest of his Death Eater pals… did not see that one coming."

"He was allegedly involved," said Ellie, "they don't have any proof."

"Who else could have done it though?" asked Yuki, "Everyone thought it was an impenetrable fortress before Black escaped."

Ellie knew of at least one other escapee, but the Demontors had gotten him in the end. The whole Barty Crouch Jr. story had been pretty heavily suppressed by the ministry and the prophet though, so she wasn't too shocked that they'd forgotten that too. Ellie knew exactly who was behind the most recent breakout, of course. But she was sure that Umbridge wouldn't take it too well if she started telling all her friends that Potter's story was the truth.

It was more important than ever that she stayed on Umbridge's good side. The Azkaban breakout wasn't the only story of interest to Ellie in today's Daily Prophet. Broderick Bode's Death had just been announced, and that meant that the Department of Mysteries officially had an opening.

Ellie knew that she shouldn't be happy about this news. After all, a man had just died. But when opportunity knocks…

As promised, Umbridge set up an interview for Ellie with the head of the department for the end of the month. It killed Ellie to wait, but at least she had some time to prepare.

Yuki helped her prepare answers for all your basic interview questions, despite Umbridge's involvement. She still hated Umbridge with a fiery passion, but she sort of liked the idea of Ellie using her to get a job while secretly working to undermine her. In truth, Yuki was doing too much with her other classes these days to do much undermining, but she still had her little NEWT trick in her back pocket to pull out when the time came, and Ellie had sworn to help. So Yuki was happy enough to help Ellie prepare for her interview.

But Ellie knew that no one, not even Yuki, could help her with what the Unspeakables really wanted from her. They would want to see her research. The indoor Herbology project wouldn't be published until the March issue of  _ Modern Herbology _ , but she had the original copy of her research paper and her publication from last year to show them. Additionally, she pulled out her old wandlore journals from her second and third year, to show how long she'd been doing this sort of thing. In hindsight, her notes were unorganized and her methods were far from thorough, but it would be a nice way to show her growth if she shared them alongside her current creature research. And of course, a little demonstration of her invented spell that induced peaceful contentment couldn't do any harm. It was a fair demonstration of her abilities, so it wasn't really like cheating.

Umbridge also recommended that Ellie get some recommendation letters. The Unspeakables hadn't specifically requested any, but it was usually required for any Ministry position. Of course, Umbridge would write a recommendation herself, but she couldn't speak to Ellie's hard research skills.

This put Ellie in a bit of a pickle, as Snape would be the obvious choice to write a recommendation. But she still hadn't told him about it. She'd already decided to keep it from him until she got an official offer, since he'd previously told her to stay away from the Department. Umbridge had agreed to keep the interview process between them, but if Ellie asked any other teachers for a recommendation it would be sure to get back to Snape.

After talking it through with Yuki, Ellie decided that the best course of action was to write to Malcolm and request a recommendation. Officially, her job with him at the apothecary had nothing to do with research, but he could definitely speak to her value as an employee.

The other obvious choice would be her first employer, Ollivander. But after their fight over the summer, neither he nor his son had been in touch. He might not be the best choice to recommend her at this point, but Ellie decided that it was more than time to mend that broken bridge. The main source of conflict - his hunch that Snape was Ellie's biological father - could of course never be put in writing. But she could apologize for being rude. And say that she respected his choice not to take her on as an official apprentice. And thank him again for everything he'd taught her.

And even though she hadn't actually fought with his son, Lionel Ollivander, Ellie wrote to him too, saying that she bore no grudge against him and his father. Lionel had been her personal tutor for three years, and they ought to stay in touch. Ellie was branching out in her studies, but she still had a great love and appreciation for wandlore and hoped that this shared interest would let them maintain a friendship. And if Ellie ever needed any enchanted furniture, Lionel's workshop would be her first stop.

Nomad had a very busy day. 

Malcolm was the first to reply, with an official recommendation enclosed along with a personal note of congratulations and well-wishing.

Lionel Ollivander was the second to reply, with a long letter talking about his life so far this year and how of course they should still stay in touch.

Garrick Ollivander, as of the interview date, had made no reply. 

Ellie was nervous, walking into Umbridge's office for the interview. Umbridge gave her an unhelpful but well meaning pep talk before leaving her to her private conversation with Saul Croaker. Ellie tried to hazard a guess at his age, but his face was unreadable. She guessed that he was somewhere between a wizened 40 and a very fit 65, but couldn't get any closer than that.

"Miss Nihil," said Croaker, offering his hand, "it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Dolores has told me such wonderful things about you."

Blushing slightly, Ellies said, "Thank you, sir. I hope I can live up to my reputation."

"This is quite an unusual situation, you know," said Croaker, "the Department of Mysteries requires the highest security clearance for our employees, and it's almost unheard of to hire a trainee right out of Hogwarts."

"Almost?" asked Ellie. As far as she knew, it was entirely unheard of.

Cracking a smile, Croaker said, "Yes, you are talking to the only member of the department to have held no other position in the ministry. I have dedicated my entire life to the mysteries we study there. I was recruited right out of Hogwarts, much like yourself."

Ellie liked the sound of that. It sounded like they were already taking her seriously. Was she being recruited? She'd been under the impression that she was begging, like she had for the apothecary job this summer. "Wow, sir, that's really impressive. You must really love working there if you've never wanted to leave."

"Indeed I do," he confirmed, "there is nowhere better for a man like myself. Now, for obvious reasons, I can't tell you much about what we do in the Department of Mysteries. In truth, the research we do is many and varied, but always most interesting. I myself specialize in time magic, one of our, well, most public projects. All the current legislation on time travel, both domestic and internationally inforced, are based on my research and advice. However, most of our work is much more secretive. We cannot discuss it with our families, or our friends, or even sometimes with others in the department. Tell me Ellie, how do you feel about leading a secret life?"

This was one of the questions Yuki had helped her prepare an answer for. She didn't mention the fact that she was already leading a secret life, but her answer did seem to convince him that she was on board with, and possibly excited by the prospect.

Croaker moved on to other general questions about Ellie's work style. How does she approach projects individually, versus with a partner, versus with a small group? How does she do following instructions that she doesn't fully understand? Her reactions to pressure, to failure, to unexpected results?

It was a long conversation, and they hadn't even gotten to her research questions yet, but Ellie was becoming more and more confident in her answers. Croaker seemed to like her, wanting her to succeed. And the more they talked, the more she was sure that if everyone in the department was like Mr. Croaker, she would have no trouble working with any of them.

When they finally did move on to the details of Ellie's previous work, Croaker did not hold back on his praise. Everything from the way Ellie formulated her problem statements to her choice of spells drew impressed exclamations. When Croaker asked to see the forest in person, she was only too happy to comply.

Standing under the canopy and observing the stars, Croker said, "this is exactly the sort of work we like to see in the department. Theory, applied, but with a goal of deepening the theoretical understanding. I can't make any promises, but there may be opportunities for you to continue this very work within the department. It relates to - well I really shouldn't say."

Ellie could have exploded with happiness. So she was allowed to bring her own research questions to the table!

"Well, Miss Nihil, this has been a most enlightening afternoon," said mr Croaker.

"Thank you, sir!," said Ellie, "I've really enjoyed our conversation. What are the next steps in the process?"

"I must discuss matters with the rest of the department," said Croaker, "and you should hear from us in a few weeks."

"I look forward to hearing from you," said Ellie, offering her hand, "thank you again for your time and consideration."

"Of course, of course!" said Croaker happily, "Thank  _ you _ , Miss Nihil."

Whatever big move Voldemort was planning next, Snape was being left out of it. Dumbledore was encouraging him to get more involved so they could have a clue about it, but Snape cautioned him against it. 

"Either you ask me to get closer to the Dark Lord or you force me to persist in these pointless Occlumency lessons with Potter," said Snape, "I cannot possibly do both. I have always hated legilimency. It weakens me."

"As I said, Harry is our priority," said Dumbledore, "but if we cannot discern how Voldemort intends to use the connection, or what he plans for the Death Eaters who have flocked to his side, we are powerless."

"Why must I always be the one to take all the risk upon myself?" asked Snape.

"You know why," said Dumbledore darkly.

Of course, thought Snape, he was still being punished for joining the Death Eaters all those years ago. He would have no redemption until the Dark Lord was gone for good.

"The Dark Lord is intentionally keeping me at bay," said Snape, "He has Bellatrix whispering in his ear now about how I am not to be trusted. He has always listened to her advice…"

"Then you will need to prove her wrong. I'm sure an opportunity will present itself before long," said Dumbledore, "but do you have any news for me today? I understand you spent the evening last night at the Malfoy Manor, some party or other?"

"A recruitment event," said Snape, "just testing the waters. Inviting various important people who had never declared for either side, seeing who might be sympathetic to the Dark Lord's cause."

"Who was in attendance?"

"Ministry, or ministry-adjacent officials, mostly. It is clear the Dark Lord is planning to take over the ministry eventually, but he is taking his time finding the best agents. Nearly every department was represented. There were a worrying number of foreign ambassadors and their spouses there. Several, but not all, of the school governors attended. I can get you a full list."

"That would be very helpful, thank you, Severus. Any interesting conversation with Lucius?"

"He made it clear that Umbridge intends to use her power to sack someone very soon. And she has been  _ incentivised _ to use that power against Sybill Trelawney."

"Ah, so that's how Voldemort intends to lay hands on her," said Dumbledore, "I should have known. But never mind, I have a loophole. He won't be getting Sybill any time soon."

"Lucius also indicated that they have found a suitable replacement for her, who has been highly recommended to Umbridge," said Snape, "I wasn't able to get a name, but they are very likely a spy for the Dark Lord."

"I have that matter in hand as well," said Dumbledore, "Firenze has agreed to join the staff as our new divination teacher, when the need arises."

"A centaur?" asked Snape, "Umbridge will be furious."

"Yes," said Dumbledore, with a twinkle in his eye, "yes, I imagine she will be."


	16. Ambition

It was well into February and Ellie still hadn't gotten her promised reply from the Department of Mysteries. As each week went by, she got more and more nervous that she had actually done something horribly wrong during the interview that she thought had gone so well. She also had to reevaluate what "a few weeks" meant to a governmental department. It certainly wasn't the same as the civilian definition.

Her independent research took a hit, as working on it simply reminded her of the absent letter. Professor Babbling was surprisingly lenient with Ellie's decreased performance in their Magical Theory discussions. As there was no NEWT to prepare for, and Ellie had already achieved an impressive publication from their studies, she seemed to content to let Ellie slack off for the rest of the term, which suited Ellie just fine. Nothing in her independent studies could help her get a job now. The interview was over. But on the plus side, she found the mindless slog of ordinary schoolwork to be a good distraction, so her grades were improving.

Herbology and Potions had never posed a challenge, even at the NEWT level. Ellie was still on top of her game in her two best subjects. Umbridge's Defence homework was always the most boring and thoughtless busywork ever contrived, but Ellie did start to make more of an effort to make the pointless essays well written, which she couldn't previously be bothered to do. Once Yuki and Phineas dropped out, Ellie somehow became Umbridge's favorite student, earning her continuous glares from the Weasley twins and anyone else with more than half a conscience in Gryffindor. But it was worth it, if Umbridge managed to get her the job.

It was charms where Ellie was able to make the most improvement. No one could say she was  _ good _ at charms but Snape may have been right not to let her drop it. She wasn't completely hopeless.

Ellie's issue with charms really came down to the temperament of her wand. She'd discussed it in detail with both Lionel and Garrick Ollivander, and they had reached a consensus. Ellie's wand simply had no interest in boring spells. If Ellie was bored, then her Acacia wand simply wouldn't perform well. But in a tight spot, when she really needed it, it was capable of channelling some incredible power. 

During the school year when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, Ellie was attacked in the hallways or the common room or even her own dorm room on many occasions. But she'd never been beaten. Charms that she'd only read about and never attempted to perform came to her easily, knocking down her opponent before they had a chance to respond. And Ellie suspected that this excellent quality also came into play in her year-end practical exams, when the pressure was really on.

She used to wish she had a nice normal wand that did exactly what she asked all the time, but the personality of the wand had grown on her, and now she was grateful for it. Sure, she'd never be great at household spells. But when it really mattered, she knew she could count on the wand that had chosen her.

Unfortunately, Professor Flitwick did not think this was a good excuse. He really was a very good teacher. Always supportive, always believing that Ellie had the skill to overcome her challenges. But most of the time, he was even more frustrated with Ellie's lack of progress than she was herself. Even with all the extra practice she'd been putting in, she might not pass her Charms NEWT. Still, she only needed to face a few more months of disappointing Flitwick before she was done with the class forever. And once she graduated, she would only be using charms that both she and her wand agreed were worth their time.

One night when Ellie and Phineas were studying together, Phineas asked, "Hey have you noticed that Yuki hasn't been going after Umbridge so much lately?"

"Yeah I have actually," said Ellie, "she hasn't complained about any of the Decrees in days. What's up with that?"

"I don't know, but I have a few theories."

"Like what?"

"Okay. There has been a steady decline in Umbridge-related vitriol since Christmas break. So theory number one: her dad told her to lay off."

"Plausible," said Ellie, "If she told her dad about how Umbridge was threatening to get him fired, I could see that happening. But even in January she had us telling her every time we saw a student go into her office, trying to figure out who her favorite little spies were…"

"Right. Which brings me to theory number two: She never  _ really  _ cared about Umbridge, she was just mad at us for not immediately taking her side."

Ellie thought about how passionately Yuki had declared that it was about the good of the student body. "No, I don't think so. She's really worried about the younger students…"

"Alright, that one was a little far fetched. Here's theory number three: She's a Slytherin."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"What are the defining features of our house? Cleverness, ambition… self preservation? At the end of the day she's got to do what's best for her and her family, right?"

"So, what, after all this time she decided to give up on her vendetta out of self interest? That doesn't sound like Yuki."

"Not self interest. The interest of the group that matters. Us. Her parents. I'm just saying, it's a theory."

They stopped their theorizing quickly as Yuki walked into the room and joined their table. "Hey, guys, what were you talking about? Don't let me interrupt."

She was trying to sound casual, but something in her tone led Ellie to believe their conversation may have been overheard. Not wanting to get into another war of secrets, Ellie took the direct approach. "We were talking about you. Wondering why you've decided to lay of Umbridge for a while."

"Oh," said Yuki, not expecting such a direct question. "It's a little complicated…"

"Complicated how?"

"Like… internationally complicated."

"Hah!" said Phineus triumphantly, "theory number one."

Ellie hushed him so Yuki could explain properly.

"Alright, so you know my dad is the representative of Japan's magical community, right? And that we come from this like ancient family that has historically not used wand magic?"

"Yeah, we know," said Phineas, "very controversial, blah blah. Lots of discrimination, blah blah."

"Exactly," said Yuki, tastefully ignoring the blah blahs, "and after the coronation this summer, I'm the head of Household. And on top of all my religious responsibilities or whatever, I'm supposed to represent the whole family in everything I do. My actions are subject to a lot of scrutiny."

"We know all this," said Ellie gently.

"Right, well I have officially been scrutinized," said Yuki, "and my actions have been deemed inappropriate."

"So for the sake of your country, and your people, you must make peace with the monster," said Phineas, only half joking. "That's very noble of you."

"There's a little more to it than that," said Yuki nervously. "Officially, Japan is supposed to stay out of any domestic disputes in foreign countries. And they don't know what side Umbridge will fall on and which side will win, so I'm supposed to stay neutral, to represent our interests to whoever comes out on top. And it's looking like Umbridge will be on top no matter what."

"What are you talking about?" asked Phineas, "On top of what? Win what? What sides?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, but…" Yuki began. She leaned in close, and whispered, "You-know-who is alive."

Ellie and Phineas both looked shocked, for very different reasons. Yuki had been doing such a good job of parroting whatever the Prophet said about Voldemort that it had never occurred to Ellie that she might be faking it for the look of it, like Ellie was.

Phineas was the first to respond, "How do you know? I mean, Potter's been saying it all along, but -"

"I just know, ok? I have my sources. Fudge may be content to keep his head buried in the sand, but every other leader in the magical world has got to know by now. And it is the opinion of the council of Oga, and the united Japanese council of Wizards, that the outcome of the fight is still undecided, and that we are to keep out of it."

Ellie frowned and said, "If they know, why aren't they doing anything?"

"Wait, did you know about this?" asked Phineas incredulously. "What's your secret source?"

Her secret source was Snape, but she wasn't about to tell him that. "I always believed Potter's version of the story," she said instead, "it's the only one that made sense."

"Oh," said Phineas, "so that's it then? No more espionage? No more defying the Will of Umbridge?"

"Well, not quite," said Yuki with a little smirk, "I'm still going to get an Outstanding on my Defence Against the Dark Arts NEWT, and I'm still going to rub it in her face, no matter what kind of international dispute it starts."

Phineas only had to sit on his new enlightened knowledge for a few weeks, before he was relieved of the burden. Somehow despite Umbridge's increasingly strict rules and the Ministry's tyrannical control of the press, Harry had managed to get the truth published at last. And while many people were still clinging to the official explanation of last June, many more were finding themselves swayed by the compelling story Potter presented. At the very least, everyone in the school had read it.

If it put a stir in the school overall, it was nothing compared to the concentrated effect it had in Slytherin.

Several students had their parents directly named as Death Eaters in the article, including Draco Malfoy. Ellie knew that Draco knew that this was true, but not everyone had Ellie's certainty. The article put a stop to Draco's bragging, at least for a little while. But there was a huge shift in the House anyway.

A number of people who'd never had an interest in Draco before, suddenly started sucking up to him. Even more alarming were the students who were treating Crabbe and Goyle with respect. Ellie couldn't tell if these students were doing it because they really hoped to have an in with the Dark Lord, or if they were just afraid of Draco's retaliation. His father's power had always caused people to bow to Draco's whims, but that was nothing compared to the fear that Voldemort's name commanded. In Slytherin, Draco was now king. 

For a few days, he shied away from the attention, but then he embraced it. He was still Umbridge's teacher's pet, so he would tell anyone who would listen that the story was nonsense and that the only thing people had to worry about was what Mad Potter would do next. But despite his words, people in Slytherin were coming around to the idea that the Dark Lord was back, and to openly say that you were glad of that was now more taboo than saying the Dark Lord's name.

Not all of the Slytherins were happy about his return. In fact, most probably feared it more than welcoming it. A blood traitor in Slytherin was in more danger than Harry Potter himself, who was at least surrounded by people he knew opposed his enemy. But no one in Slytherin knew anything. No one knew who would turn you over to the Dark Lord in a heartbeat to curry favor or who really yearned for pureblood supremacy or who was secretly wishing that Potter would just take care of things quickly, so they could study in peace. No one knew who to trust.

Many blamed Potter himself for this disruption. For most in Slytherin, the ignorance of the masses had been protecting them. So there were many glares at Potter from the Slytherin table, from the Dark Lord's supporters and his fearful opposers alike. But none were brave enough to speak against him directly. All the brave ones were in Gryffindor.

"Did you know about this?" demanded Snape, throwing a confiscated copy of the Quibbler onto Dumbledore's desk.

"Not a clue, Severus."

"No, of course the boy and his meddlesome friends acted on their own, again! I should have known," said Snape, "They never think of the consequences. Selfish, scheming -"

"Is this not a victory, Severus?" said Dumbledore calmly, "I thought it most fortuitous. I have been getting letters all day from witches and wizards, apologizing for calling me a loony."

"But what about my House?" demanded Snape, "My students? All this confusion, and infamy… if inter house unity was your goal, you can throw that out the window. And Draco? This article is  _ poison _ to him, Albus. He'd been doing so well. I'd thought he could come through this without picking sides, as his mother wanted, but when the Dark Lord learns of the power he wields among Slytherin students - he'll have the mark within a year, you mark my words."

"It is unfortunate about the Malfoy boy," said Dumbledore, "But if you look at the big picture, you'll find -"

"Damn the big picture!" Said Snape viciously, "that boy is ruined. If they had waited until school was out of session, at least, the results would have been less extreme -"

"Do not let your affections for the boy cloud your judgement, Severus," said Snape, "the timing is exactly what we needed it to be."

Snape sputtered incoherently but made no audible argument.

"Severus," said Dumbledore gently, "It is too late for Lucius. But it is not too late for the boy."

This hit right to the heart of Snape's anger. Lucius, his friend, was beyond saving. He had been for a long time, but Snape had held out hope. And when that hope had failed him, he transferred his attentions to Draco, wishing to save him from his Father's inevitable fate. The fate that he himself was orchestrating for him. But now…

"I wish to protect him," said Snape.

"You cannot protect every child," said Dumbledore, "In this war, even children will be sacrificed."

"Not him," said Snape firmly, "not him."

"He broke into my mind," Snape complained, striding into Dumbledore's office a few weeks later. "I've kept you and the Dark Lord out for years, but after a few months practicing legilimency on that boy my mind is already half the fortress it once was. Those memories were not his to see. They were private!"

"Ah, that matter again," said Dumbledore, "I was under the impression that you wanted to see me to discuss the recent sacking of Sybill Trelawney and her subsequent replacement."

"What is there to discuss?" asked Snape, "It happened just as you expected."

"Yes, it did go rather smoothly, didn't it? Aside from the rather public shouting match in the hall. I did expect it to be a quieter affair, I admit."

Refusing to be distracted, Snape said for the dozenth time, "I quit. I won't teach him anymore."

"I have not given you permission to quit yet," said Dumbledore. "You did so well with Ellie, and I had hoped -"

"As I have said, Ellie  _ wanted _ to learn Occlumency. Potter enjoys his little power far too much. He has gone deeper than you realize, Albus. He opened the door he has been dwelling on. He was so excited by it. I could feel it. He doesn't want the visions to stop."

"Then you must convince him."

"It gets worse," said Snape, "I saw a dream he had, through the Dark Lord's eyes. It was so vivid. Rookwood kneeling before him, grovelling. And he'd been dwelling on it, thinking it over, puzzling out the mean -" Snape broke off suddenly. "Oh. Oh no."

"What?"

"I've just remembered what Rookwood was saying. Potter's mind was so clouded, I hadn't heard, but… no I did hear, but I didn't consider…"

"Severus," said Dumbledore sternly.

"He knows," said Snape in resignation. "He already knows. Rookwood must have told him who is allowed to lay hands on the prophecy. He knows he must go himself, and risk capture, or… or circumvent the enchantment somehow… or -"

"Or get Harry to retrieve it himself. Yes, I had thought of that."

"What will we do?"

"We will do exactly what we have been doing. I expect both you and Harry to redouble your efforts in Occlumency, in light of this news."

"But what am I to tell him? Surely you don't want him to know of the prophecy."

"No, no… but you have always found ways of motivating your students, Severus. You'll think of something… something…"

Dumbledore put his wand to his head and removed a silvery memory, and stored it in an empty bottle on his desk. Then he removed a second, and a third. "I must ask you to return my pensieve for now," said Dumbledore. "There are some memories I wish to peruse… yes, they may shed some light…"

"So I must continue the lessons," said Snape, trying to regain control of the conversation. "You refuse to acknowledge their futility?"

"You will continue until I give you leave to stop. Do you understand?"

"If he breaks into my mind again, I'm finished. You are crippling me."

"You swore to protect him."

"I am trying to protect him!" said Snape, "but I cannot force him to learn if he is unwilling!"

"Perhaps he is unable to learn because you do not believe he can."

"Do not blame me for Potter's stubbornness. I have been accessing his mind for months, and I have felt firsthand his mulish refusal to control his own emotions. He's just like his father. Unable to understand the big picture. Too preoccupied with girls and quidditch to focus on what  _ matters _ ."

"Girls?" asked Dumbledore mildly.

"I am not using legilimency on the boy to report to you who he fancies!"

"No, of course not, of course not." 

"He's never going to learn," said Snape stubbornly.

"Nonetheless," said Dumbledore, "you will persist."

When Dumbledore had asked Ellie for permission to use her forest classroom, she hadn't imagined that it would become the new divination classroom. It made her wonder just how long he'd known about Professor Trelawney's imminent sacking, and how long he'd been planning to hire the centaur as a replacement. In any case, there was no higher compliment than Firenze telling her that it was a beautiful habitat.

A few days after the dramatic event, Ellie finally received her long awaited letter while eating breakfast in the Great Hall.

"This is it," said Yuki dramatically, "the big moment."

"Aren't you going to open it?" asked Phineas.

"What is it?" asked Donna, nosing her way into the conversation. "Who's it from?"

Ellie's mouth felt too dry to say anything, but she managed to choke out, "not here."

Despite having only just started breakfast, Ellie and her two friends hurried out of the hall to find somewhere a little more private to open the letter. Since their usual room was currently occupied by a centaur, they settled for a quiet statuary nook in the hallway.

"Take a deep breath," said Yuki, trying to get Ellie's hands to stop shaking long enough to open the envelope.

"Here, let me," said Phineas, breaking the seal and removing the letter itself, which he handed back to Ellie.

Ellie took a deep breath and unfolded the paper. She scanned it quickly, then scanned it again just to make sure.

"Well?" asked Yuki nervously.

"I did it!" exclaimed Ellie, breaking into a grin. "They offered me the job!"

Yuki and Phineas congratulated her and much group hugging ensued.

"Well," said Ellie, looking at the paper again, "They offered me the job contingent on me passing all my NEWTs."

"I'd better start helping you with your charms work again, then," said Yuki.

"I can do it," said Ellie firmly. "I am now more than sufficiently motivated."

"So what next?" asked Phineas, "write to them and accept the offer? When do you start?"

"Before I can accept the offer," said Ellie with a sigh, "I have to talk to Professor Snape."

"You still haven't told him, then?" asked Yuki, "I thought for sure he would have found out by now, since you did your interview here in the castle. Lots of people know about it."

"He's been… preoccupied," said Ellie evasively.

"Well if you don't bring it up yourself, it's bound to come up during your career counselling session," said Phineas, "All the 7th years have to start scheduling those meetings next week."

"I won't be seeing him until then anyway," said Ellie, "I have mine scheduled for Sunday already. I'm just glad I got this letter before then. Now I won't have to come up with any fake plans to pitch him…"

"Hey, what are you telling him, Yuki?" asked Phineas.

"Oh, he already knows all about my situation," Yuki replied. "He knows I'm going back to Japan right away to take over the family responsibilities. My Grandmother has more than earned her retirement."

"So your NEWTs don't even matter," said Ellie enviously.

"Oh yes they do," said Yuki, "If the council of elders heard I'd been a flop in high school they'd make my mom take over instead. And she would really not be happy about that. She loves her life in London. Not to mention the fact that she can't keep learning wand magic if she's forced to go back home."

"How's that going for her by the way?" asked Phineas.

"Really great actually," said Yuki, "I'd say she's about as good as I am now with a wand. And she's made all of these new witch friends because of it. My dad's a little left out, but he was always better than her with written charm magic, so it seems like a fair tradeoff."

"Are you going to keep doing wand magic when you go back," asked Ellie, "or stick to the old ways?"

"Honestly, I'm a little rusty on the traditional magic I used to know. I should take a break from the wand stuff, get in touch with those ancient forces again…"

"I can't even imagine it," said Phineas, shaking his head. "Your life over there is so different from everything you do here."

"You won't have to imagine it if you come visit me," said Yuki hopefully.

"I will," said Phineas urgently, "I swear it. I'm not letting you disappear out of my life forever."

"Do you think you'll have time to visit Japan?" asked Ellie. "I thought you were going to take the Band stuff more seriously."

"I am taking it very seriously," said Phineas, "Donny got us in touch with this bigtime producer over in America who seemed really interested in our stuff. And who knows, maybe Tin Man's first Asian tour will be our next accomplishment…"

Just then they noticed that the hallway was starting to fill up. If they didn't get moving, they were all going to be late for class. Still, they all stopped, smiled, and took a moment to appreciate their accomplishments.

"Wow," said Phineas, "look at the three of us."

"An Unspeakable," said Ellie proudly.

"A Rock Star," said Phineas, no longer feigning humility.

"And a Queen," said Yuki, with only a trace of humor.

"I love being a Slytherin," said Ellie earnestly. 


	17. Career Counselling

The end of the year was rapidly approaching, and Severus was very on edge. Over the next few weeks he'd be meeting with every single 7th and 5th year Slytherin to discuss their job prospects, and how their test scores would factor into their options. Ordinarily, Snape enjoyed this part of the job. His Slytherin students were ambitious and usually knew what they wanted out of life. For the seventh years, it was largely a formality, although he sometimes had real help to offer.

This year was different, though. For one thing, he had to be more careful scheduling meetings so that his Slytherin students didn't barge in on Harry's "Remedial Potions" lessons. But more importantly, he was too distracted to care. The Dark Lord was up to something new, and was deliberately keeping Snape out of it. Whatever it was, he was sure that it would happen before the end of the school year, and he was sure it had something to do with Harry.

Snape's first career meeting of the year was actually just his usual Sunday afternoon chat with Ellie. He'd requested that they get it out of the way quickly. Ellie had implied that she had some idea of what she was doing, but she had yet to tell Snape anything about it. He hoped it would be a nice tame job like continuing her apprenticeship with Lionel Ollivander or possibly taking her apothecary experience to a more reputable shop.

But as soon as Ellie walked in, she looked nervous, which did not bode well.

"So," said Snape, "what are you planning to do with your four NEWTs."

"Well," Ellie began cautiously, "I've got a pretty good idea of that. I've already applied for a job… and interviewed… and gotten an offer… but I haven't accepted yet."

"That is good news," said Snape unenthusiastically. Her tone was still more fearful than enthusiastic. "And what, may I ask, is the position?"

"It's a very impressive position!" said Ellie quickly. "It wasn't easy to get, I'll tell you that. And the pay isn't the best but it's a lot more than Mal paid me, and there are definite opportunities for advancement. Really I couldn't do any better, right out of Hogwarts, especially with my grades…"

"Ellie," said Snape warningly, "What is the position?"

Very quietly, Ellie said, "Unspeakable."

Snape looked back at her icily and replied, "I will not insult your intelligence by asking whether you remember my warnings about the Department of Mysteries. I had thought we settled this matter last year. I told you that if you trusted me, you should stay away from it. Evidently, you still do not trust me."

"Evidently you don't trust me either," said Ellie petulantly, "or you would have told me what was wrong with the place."

"If I had known this was your plan, I would have told you," said Snape, "but you did not give me the opportunity."

"Oh," said Ellie guiltily, "so are you going to tell me now?"

"If I told you," said Snape, "would it change your mind?"

Ellie seemed to consider this question seriously before finally replying, "No. I've made up my mind. This is what I want to do with my life. I want to continue the research I've been doing the last few years, and no other job will give me the resources I need to do it. You can't change my mind."

"Even if it kills you?"

With only a little hesitation, she replied, "Yes, even if it kills me. I could die just about anywhere these days. Might as well die doing something important."

Snape could understand that sentiment, but it brought him no comfort. The Department of Mysteries was one of the least safe locations he could think of for Ellie to be at the moment, but she was determined. If there was no hall of prophecy, he would be thrilled. What other job matched her skills so perfectly? What other work could bring her the satisfaction she craved? 

"Is there really nothing else," said Snape, "no other job that could satisfy you, until the threat has passed?"

Ellie was about to deny it, but then she grew thoughtful and said, "Yes. There is one other…"

"Well?"

"I want to join the order. I want to bring down you-know-who."

"That's worse," said Snape.

"I know," said Ellie, "but I would do it. I would drop my career in a heartbeat if I thought I could do something, anything to help. If you let me."

"I can't," said Snape.

"I know that too," Ellie replied. "But I'm giving you that choice. I could join the ministry as an Unspeakable, discovering the deepest forms of magic. Or I could join you, as a rebel or a spy or whatever you needed me to be, to protect Harry. To save the Wizarding World. I could do it. I could help…"

"I do not doubt your skill, Ellie," said Snape. "And I respect your desire to do good with your knowledge. But to be on the front lines… if you were to fall under the Dark Lord's power…"

"I know," said Ellie, "I would be a liability. Because of my blood. Because of my history with you."

"You understand then," said Snape, "why I can't allow you to openly oppose him."

"I do," said Ellie, "which is why I'm joining the Ministry, and not the Order."

If she'd brought up the Order as an option just to provide a contrast, it was working. Snape could see how this was better. Except that the Department of Mysteries  _ was _ the front lines at the moment.

"I can't stop you, can I?" Snape said.

"You could," admitted Ellie, "but it would take some pretty extreme measures. I'm pretty good at overcoming the Imperius curse, you know."

"Don't joke about that," Snape said sharply. A new Ministry employee would be a ripe target for one of Lucius's little imperius attempts, and the results of her resisting might be even more disastrous than her succumbing to the spell. They might just kill her.

"I'm sorry," said Ellie, "I know that this is serious, ok? I do. But I'm serious about this job."

"Fine," said Snape, regretting it even as he said it, "I'll allow it."

"Thank you!" exclaimed, practically jumping over the desk to give Snape a hug. "You won't regret it! I'll keep my head down and stay out of trouble, just like you always wanted."

"Mm," said Snape noncommittally. He didn't like it. And if he caught wind of any fresh plots to extract the prophecy, he would still be putting a stop to it. But a little part of him said that it was alright to put those fears aside for a moment, and just enjoy how happy this made Ellie. He wasn't satisfied with the situation, but for a few moments, he was almost happy.

Ellie was beside herself with joy. All her dreams were coming true! She wrote to the Ministry right away to tell them that she was excited to accept the offer. Then she wrote to Malcolm, thanking him for his recommendation, and to Lionel Ollivander, thanking him for his mentorship and telling him about the new job. Finally, she wrote to Garrick Ollivander, despite having received no reply before, apologizing again and thanking him for the experience he gave her, leading in part to this triumphant conclusion. She didn't have high hopes that he would respond, but she felt obligated to try. 

Umbridge also took great pleasure in Ellie's success, seeing herself as the primary instrument of that triumph. And Ellie had to admit that she couldn't have done it without Umbridge's influence. Umbridge was still easy enough to hate, but Ellie also now felt some obligation to the High Inquisitor. There was a debt to be paid, somehow.

When Ellie was awoken early one morning by a fellow student, so that she could be summoned to Umbridge's office, Ellie's first thought was that Umbridge was calling in that favor. 

The truth was considerably more surprising. Along with the High Inquisitor herself, she found herself in Umbridge's office with Draco Malfoy, Professor Snape, and of all people, Argus Filch, the caretaker.

"I am now the Headmistress of Hogwarts," Umbridge announced with a sickening grin, "and things are going to change around here."

"It's about time," said Filch with a quivering chin.

Ellie looked to Professor Snape for some clue how to respond, but his stoic face betrayed nothing useful. If something had happened to Dumbledore, shouldn't he know about it? Dumbledore was the last great hope of the Wizarding World, and without him they were all doomed. She couldn't imagine him stepping down without a fight.

"I'm gathering some students to help me… enforce these changes," continued Umbridge, "The Inquisitorial Squad. I do still have my High Inquisitor responsibilities to see to, but I will be so busy now that I am running this school. I should have some help, hm?"

Draco was quick on the uptake. "I would be honored to assist you,  _ Headmistress _ . My friends and I have always supported your efforts to improve the school."

"I so hoped you would say that, Dear," said Umbridge warmly. "And you, Miss Nihil?"

"I, er -" said Ellie, struggling to think of some excuse.

"I had hoped," said Umbridge conspiratorially, "that you would lead this little squad of mine."

Draco was glaring daggers, but Snape was still maintaining his cool. What was Ellie supposed to do when she was put on the spot like this?

"Wow, um, thank you, Professor - I mean Headmistress!," said Ellie lamely, "But, I, uh, don't think I can take on that sort of responsibility right now. I have… NEWTs! I have to study for my NEWTs. I, uh, regrettably don't have time for anything else right now…"

Umbridge looked disappointed, but not angry. "Of course, dear, I understand. Perhaps you could recommend someone else, another student around your age?"

The only student with leadership skills that came to Ellie's mind was Yuki, and she was obviously not an option. "I think Draco can handle it," said Ellie on a whim, "He's a natural leader."

Something in Snape's face changed at that moment, but it was gone too quickly for Ellie to determine if it was positive or negative. 

Draco, however, was all puffed up by the compliment. "My friends and I would be proud to assist you together, Headmistress."

"Very well, Draco," said Umbridge, "gather your friends and bring them back quickly, so I can explain your new duties - and privileges."

Draco bowed smartly and ducked out of the room, on his way to wake Crabbe and Goyle no doubt. Umbridge might not be a Death Eater herself, thought Ellie, but the company she kept really didn't recommend her.

"Argus," said Umbridge, causing the caretaker to snap to attention, "I want you to keep a sharp eye on the students today. No funny business in the hallways! Anyone makes trouble, you tell me."

"Yes, Headmistress!" said Filch, before bouncing out of the room. Who knew the old man was capable of such glee?

"And what do you require of me, Dolores?" asked Snape serenely.

"I mean to find out which of these wicked little students have been lying to me, Severus. I will need veritaserum."

"While I sympathize with your need," said Snape, "it is against the school's rules to use such a potion on a student."

"So it was, Severus. So it was. But not, I think, anymore. The minister agrees with me that we must do everything in our power to put a stop to this dangerous insurrection. After last night, all the rules have changed, Severus. Oh yes, things are indeed changing at Hogwarts…"

Over the course of the day, Ellie gradually learned what had happened to put Umbridge in charge. Dumbledore seemed to have been recruiting some sort of army, but the ministry had caught him. He’d fought them off though and now was on the run. Yuki thought it had something to do with Potter’s study group that she’d failed to join back in October, but the facts were a little fuzzier on that point.

Umbridge spent most of her first day chasing down rogue fireworks, and Ellie had to really struggle not to laugh every time one roared by a window, leaving chaos in her wake. Even more than before, Umbridge was the one to impress now, even if she was making a fool of herself initially. If Ellie wanted to graduate peacefully, she really couldn't be caught placing an order with the Weasley Twins, as tempting as it was.

Of course, she had strong doubts that the twins would be willing to take an order from her at all. Over the years they'd gone through periods of almost getting along, but now was not one of those periods. With Ellie sucking up to Umbridge all the time this year, they had every reason to hate her. 

Draco and his friends managed to destroy the house points system in a day, destroying Ellie's dream of breaking the Gryffindor winning streak. Winning this way was a hollow victory. Sure, Professor Snape had never exactly played fair with house points system, but he showed more restraint than Draco. By the time the Slytherins went to bed that night, no amount of teacher favoritism could have balanced the odds.

Snape was done with teaching Occlumency. After everything else he'd had to put up with over the last few days, Potter's transgression was the last straw. Dumbledore wasn't here, and he couldn't make Snape keep up the ridiculous charade of a lesson. Not after Potter decided he was entitled to the memories that Snape had so carefully kept from him.

He'd put a lot of thought into which memory would be most devastating, should Potter accidentally break through his defences. He hadn't even thought to protect the childhood memories that Potter had accessed before. They'd been so repressed that Snape may not have been able to draw them out unaided at all. But he could have removed memories related to the prophecy. Or his recent interactions with the Dark Lord. Or his close relationship with Lily. Or his ultimate betrayal of Lily. Or anything about Ellie at all. But in the end, this - _ this _ \- was the memory he found most devastating, most worthy of protecting.

And this was the memory that Potter was able to peruse with such leisure.

Just thinking about it made Snape's blood boil. The audacity, the sheer arrogance it took to dive into Snape's memories like that! And the thought of him telling his little friends about it - laughing about it - if he dared.

He'd been fighting with Lily at the end of that school year, over something stupid and small. And when Lily had so humiliatingly come to his rescue, while he dangled helplessly in the air, the word had just slipped out of him. He'd never called her a mudblood before. He used the word for anyone else, but never for her. He hadn't meant it. And he thought she would have known that he hadn't meant it. But she didn't.

It was the beginning of the end for their friendship. They'd been growing apart for years, but they'd always managed to bridge that gap during the summer, seeking the comfort of the only other magical person around. But that summer was different. Lily saw him only grudgingly, and every encounter ended with her somehow expressing that she was still mad at him.

Snape did everything he could to make it up to her. He apologized. He even went so far as to be nice to Petunia, when he had the patience. Even without James around to remind her of all of Snape's flaws, he struggled to convince Lily that he was reformed. It was torture to have his every advance met with coldness or hostility, but at least they were still talking. At least he had that. And if he talked for long enough, he could still make her laugh.

Her laughter was the only laughter he could stand to hear. 

To Snape, every other laugh held traces of James's snickers or Sirius's grating bark. Or worse, the chorus of jeers and laughter of unknown students, as James hung the teenage Severus Snape in front of the crowd with Snape's own spell.

The only good thing that could be said of Harry Potter's recent foray into this memory was that Snape had stopped him before James had a chance to "take off Snivelly's pants."

James always liked to have an audience for his torments, more so than Sirius did. If Peter was the only one around, he would suffice, but he preferred a more robust crowd. Snape used to hunt down the onlookers and hex them for laughing. It soothed the hurt a little, to have some revenge.

But he had no revenge for that day by the lake. 

Naked, but for the robes hanging over his face, he couldn't see who had laughed. Despite the summer air, he was cold all over, except for his face which was red-hot from the flush of humiliation. And also the blood draining to his head from being upside down so long.

He wasn't sure how long it lasted. It felt like an eternity, but it may have only been a few minutes, as he cursed and struggled to free himself from the spell, blind to the onlookers who so enjoyed the show. James didn't let him down until he stopped struggling, and just hung there, on display for the whole school to see. What a victory that was for James. To see Snape give up.

When James finally broke the spell and the crowd dispersed, Snape didn't rush to cover his nakedness. The rumpled robes over his head served to hide the tears, and he couldn't bear that final embarrassment.

When everyone was gone, and he finally righted himself, the tears were still flowing. He hid in the growing darkness of the grounds until the brink of curfew, sobbing, alone.

To think that Harry Potter might have been the first to witness that scene, when Severus finally thought the show was over and it was safe to break down.

Snape may not have been able to get revenge on any of the onlookers the first time around, but he'd caught Potter in the act. And he might not be able to hex Harry as he would have with James, but he could at least ensure that they saw as little of each other as possible. Occlumency lessons were over, no matter what Dumbledore had to say about it. And Snape hoped beyond hope that Harry would fail his potions OWL, so he never had to see that arrogant face in class again.

Despite the increasingly tyrannical reign of Headmistress Umbridge, Ellie was feeling optimistic. Phineas was feeling it too, as he geared up for his American tour. Even Yuki was spending less time thinking about Hogwarts and more time about her life back in Japan. And they weren't the only 7th years whose minds were elsewhere. The Weasley twins just up and left one day, causing a big scene as they went. For a while there was talk of other 7th years doing the same. But no one else would have been able to pull it off with the same panache, so the rumors died away. Ellie, Phineas, and Yuki, along with most other Slytherins, took the heads down study hard approach.

It was a little alarming though when all three received letters with broken seals, despite their compliance with all previous Decrees. Ellie had long since gotten used to the suspicion that all her mail was under scrutiny, but it had never been this blatant before.

"I guess they're checking everyone's mail now," said Phineas. "Not that it matters. It's not like I'm exchanging secret letters with Dumbledore or anything. It's just Tiberius again - oh!"

"What?" asked Yuki nervously. "Did something happen?"

"No, nothing bad!" said Phineas, "I'd just forgotten that our last Hogsmeade weekend is coming up. I was supposed to send Tiberius the date when I knew it. He wants us to go over all the new songs and start putting them together with the whole band. We're going to be on a pretty tight schedule this summer but he wanted to premiere some of the new tunes while we're on tour. Generate interest and all that…"

"Oh," said Yuki disappointedly, "I thought we might spend this Hogsmeade weekend together. You know, celebrating our upcoming graduation and all that."

"Sorry," said Phineas with feeling, "I wish I could, but you know how it is. Duty calls…"

"Besides," Ellie added, "I'm still banned from Hogsmeade."

Ellie had never gotten around to telling them about her little werewolf encounter from the beginning of the year. Snape had said it would be safer for everyone to keep it quiet, and she'd never been able to think of a good enough reason to defy that advice. So she'd just told them that Snape banned her from Hogsmeade for her general safety, which was true enough. They'd had years to get used to the idea that Ellie's adoptive father was into some shady business that Ellie couldn't tell them much about. 

"Bummer," said Yuki, "I guess I'll be using that time to study then."

Ellie sighed and said, "Same with me. NEWTs are right around the corner now."

Ellie's letter was a little more damning than Phineas's. But not by much. It just indicated that Ellie had a regular correspondence with a proprietor in Knockturn Alley. Ellie had written Malcolm again to inquire about the room above his shop where she had stayed last summer. He replied that it was not currently being rented, and that Ellie was welcome to stay there again if she so chose.

Ellie needed somewhere to stay after graduating, and Spinner's end was not an option. With the floo network, she could technically live anywhere and commute to the Ministry in London, but she liked the idea of living somewhere where she could keep an eye on whatever was going on in the Wizarding World outside the controlled environment of The Ministry.

Of course, over the summer she'd gotten a special rent rate because she was working for Malcolm. This time she couldn't expect the same treatment. Still, if the room had remained empty for nearly a year, it couldn't be that desirable. That would be some useful leverage in her negotiations. Not many people had the guts to negotiate with Malcolm, but Ellie thought she could handle it well enough in a letter or two.

Yuki's letter was written in Japanese, and also in code, so Ellie was sure that Draco and the other inquisitorial squad members hadn't gotten anything out of it. Grabbe and Goyle could barely read English as it was. But when Yuki had a chance to speak to Ellie privately, she revealed that the letter was more than it appeared. It contained further cautions from her Aunt and the council in Oga to not give any indication of choosing sides in any disputes with Umbridge or You-Know-Who. They also indicated that she was not to tell her father any of this, unless his life was endangered. He was important in his capacity as an ambassador, but at the end of the day he had only married into the Family, and was not supposed to be privy to the goings-on of the council. This was hard for Yuki, Ellie knew, as she liked to tell her Father everything. But it was necessary.

Yuki's response was an order not to contact her at Hogwarts again. It wasn't safe.


	18. The Lone Wolf

The weeks went by and Ellie counted down the dwindling days until NEWT exams began. She was in full study mode, nose to the grindstone, along with her best friends.

When Phineas parted ways with her at breakfast to head into Hogsmeade, she didn’t even look up from her charms notes.

The air was still cool, but it was sunny in the afternoon so Ellie and Yuki took their practice outside. It was hard to pay attention though, with the lake sparkling in such an inviting way.

“Ouch!” Yuki yelped, pulling her hand away from Ellie, “you’re supposed to be practicing on the jewelry box, not my hand!”

“Sorry!” Said Ellie quickly, “I was trying to make it tap dance but I got distracted…”

“Maybe I should have gone into Hogsmeade after all,” Said Yuki, sucking her thumb, which had so recently been forced to dance against its will. “I’m not getting anything done.”

“Did Phineas say when he’s getting back?”

“Not till late,” Said Yuki, shaking her head. “After dinner probably. We’re supposed to work on transfiguration together tomorrow morning, though, so he’d better not be out all night.”

As a matter of fact, though, he was out all night. Or at least they hadn’t seen him by the time they went to bed. Umbridge had a pretty strict curfew in place, but it didn’t seem to apply to her favorite students. Ellie assumed that he’d gotten caught up in band stuff and forgotten about the curfew. It’s not like rock musicians were known for their punctual bedtimes.

Her assumptions changed, though, when Yuki shook her awake in the morning.

“Wuhh?” Said Ellie stupidly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Phineas didn’t show up for our study session,” Said Yuki, looking very worried.

“Maybe he’s running late? Overslept?”

“It’s almost noon, Sleeping Beauty,” Said Yuki impatiently, “he missed it completely. Besides, I checked with Adrian and he said Phineas never came to bed last night. He was hoping we knew something about it.”

“Maybe he was up all night writing. He does that sometimes. Let’s not jump to any conclusions.”

“Then where is he?” Asked Yuki, “I looked everywhere in the castle and on the grounds. I’ve been at it for hours…”

“He’ll show up for lunch,” Said Ellie, not quite believing it, “let’s go wait for him in the great hall.

He didn’t show up for lunch. They waited while the room filled with lazy Sunday lunchers, and waited while it emptied again.

They were about to leave to search the castle again, when they received an unexpected visitor in the form of an owl.

It was unusual for an owl to make a delivery to the great hall outside the usual breakfast flurry, so it must have been acting on more specific orders. And even more surprising was the fact that the little scroll arrived in tact and still sealed.

There was no name on the scroll, but the bird held its leg out to Ellie, so she assumed she was the intended recipient. As the owl flew away, she read the short note:

_ Bring the recipe tonight, or the pack starts recruiting. _

There was no signature, but Ellie knew exactly who this was from. There was only one pack who would be writing to her.

"Who's it from?" asked Yuki eargently, "is it Phineas?"

"We can't talk about it here," Ellie whispered, "but we need to go find Professor Snape right away."

Yuki immediately jumped out of her seat and led the way to Snape's office in the dungeon. Ellie knocked quickly and opened the door without waiting for an answer.

"You're early," said Snape, glancing at the clock on the wall. Then, with more apprehension, "and you brought Miss Sasahara with you."

"Phineas is missing," Yuki blurted.

"And I got this note," said Ellie, slipping him the piece of paper. She hoped that he would have some other explanation than the one she had thought of, but from the look on his face he was coming to the same conclusions.

"Does she know?" asked Snape shrewdly, glancing at Yuki.

Ellie shook her head.

"What do you expect me to do about this?" asked Snape quietly.

"What do - what do I expect you to do?" Ellie sputtered, "I expect you to save him, of course!"

"You know I can't do that."

Ellie's jaw dropped. But hadn't Snape said something like that before? That he couldn't move against Fenrir Greyback and his pack because Voldemort was allied with them? That he couldn't risk losing the Dark Lord's trust?

"But he's your student! No one could find it suspicious if you came to his rescue!"

" _ You _ were my student," Snape reminded her, "and I didn't come to your defence. If I go now, I am putting everything in jeopardy."

"But his life is in jeopardy!" cried Ellie.

Snape frowned sadly and glanced at the note, saying, "it doesn't sound like they are planning to  _ kill _ him."

"Will one of you tell me what the hell is going on?" Yuki shouted, striding forward to grab the note out of Snape's hand. After scanning it, she demanded, "what does any of this mean? What recipe? What pack? Who's trying to kill our best friend, and why aren't we doing anything about it?"

Cowed by this outburst, Ellie replied weakly, "it's kind of a long story."

"Well make it short!" said Yuki, just as firmly.

"Ok!" said Ellie quickly, "Remember that werewolf I helped last summer? Well he found a pack. And then his pack found me. They wanted the wolfsbane potion I'd made, but I wouldn't make it for them, so we fought, and I won, and they've been pissed ever since."

The summary left a lot to be desired, and Ellie fully expected Yuki to ask about the wolfsbane and why they wanted it, but she didn't seem to care about that.

"How could I not have heard about this?" Yuki demanded angrily.

"Well we weren't really talking at the time…"

"Then did you tell Phineas about it?"

"Well, no…"

"Perfect!" said Yuki sarcastically, "You lied to us  _ again _ and now Phineas is going to pay for it. If he'd known, he might have been able to prepare and protect himself, but  _ no _ , you had to be the only one with the top secret knowledge! I told  _ you _ when I had top secret information that could save your life, but you couldn't do us the same favor, I guess!"

"Sasahara," Snape interrupted quietly, "I am the one who asked her to keep it quiet. We thought you would be in more danger if you knew."

"Nothing would have happened! We would have just stayed out of Hogsmeade, or -"

"So you would have done nothing if you knew Ellie was being hunted by a bloodthirsty pack of werewolves?"

"I -" Yuki started. "Well, at least I would have had time to think about what to do, unlike now!"

"There's nothing to think about!" said Ellie impatiently, turning to Snape, "if you won't help him, I will!"

"We don't even know where he is!" said Yuki, waving the note in Ellie's face.

"Oh right," said Ellie, "They could be near where they cornered me last time. Or they might have followed Phineas to the house where the rest of Tin Man lives, or - oh. The rest of Tin Man. The note said  _ start recruiting _ , implying…"

"More than one person," said Yuki, catching up to Ellie's train of thought. "They have all of them. Ben, Cat, Tiberius, and Phineas… they're probably being held captive in their own house."

"We have to go right now," said Yuki, already heading for the door.

Ellie was about to follow but instead she grabbed Yuki's arm to stop her. "You can't. The council told you to stay out of any conflicts. You have your people to think about…"

"Phineas is one of my people," said Yuki half-heartedly.

"You know what I meant. Your country. Your clan. Your family."

"But the council didn't anticipate this! Some random werewolf vendetta -"

"Yuki," Ellie interrupted, "you know they wouldn't be operating this openly without support, right?"

Ellie didn't have to mention Voldemort directly for Yuki to get the implication. Her shoulders sagged in defeat and she said, "But you're going, aren't you? You aren't just going to leave them there?"

"I'm going," said Ellie resolutely.

"Ellie -" said Snape, drawing her attention. He seemed to struggle with something inside himself for a moment, some important choice. Ellie thought he would stop her. Instead, he concluded, "be careful. All the ways in and out of the school are being watched. There's a secret passage under the whomping willow."

Snape explained how to access the passage, but she'd have to wait until it was dark enough. Yuki gave whatever advice she could, but consented to remain behind. Ellie wasn't sure why Snape was allowing it at all, but she wasn't going to ask and risk him changing his mind.

"But what are you going to do when you get there?" asked Yuki.

Ellie furrowed her brow but answered confidently, "I'm going to give them the recipe."

Ellie made the trip into Hogsmeade easily enough. There was a near miss with Filch and an even closer encounter with a Ravenclaw prefect, but she arrived at the Tin Man house unscathed. She'd never actually been there before, having gotten into trouble with the Pack on the very first Hogsmeade weekend of the year. When there was no initial response to her knock, she worried briefly that she was at the wrong house, but after a minute or so, the door opened.

Her skin prickled as she stepped into the house, and not without reason. Every piece of mismatched furniture in the living room was occupied by a presumed werewolf, though Vilks was not among them. Some already looked sickly, despite that day being almost equidistant from the previous full moon and the next. Presiding over the gathering was Fenrir Greyback himself, who didn't look weak at all.

"You're cutting it close, little witch," said Greyback with a smirk, "But I see you came alone. Smart."

"I know better than to corner a wild animal."

"Best check that cheek at the door, girl, if you and your friends want to be leaving any time soon."

"Where are they?" said Ellie, trying not to let her temper rise.

"The potion recipe first."

"I'm not giving you anything until I see that my friends are alive and unhurt."

"I never promised they would be unhurt," said Greyback with a wicked grin. The pack laughed, but two of them got up and headed towards the stairs, presumably to retrieve the hostages.

While Ellie waited for them to return, she occupied herself by glaring at Greyback as menacingly as possible. He didn't seem perturbed. Ellie may have bested him last time by running away, but his confidence was not diminished, not with his pack around him.

The werewolf minions returned shortly, trailing the hostages behind them, bound and gagged. When the four of them caught sight of Ellie, their eyes registered shock, indicating that Greyback hadn't told them what he was after. It must have been terrifying to be held like that, not knowing what was wanted of them. There were some visible bruises and cuts on all of them, especially Cat, but they were all at least able to walk unassisted.

Ellie waited patiently while the minions cut their bonds and removed the gags. When he was free, Tiberius ran forward to give Ellie a hug. She hadn't seen him since he graduated nearly a year ago, and now to be meeting again under these circumstances… She wasn't exactly in the mood for a hug, or any sort of complicated emotions, but she did take the opportunity to whisper in his ear, "meet me in the shrieking shack."

"Now the recipe," said Greyback, when Ellie was released from the hug.

"After you let them go."

"That's a big demand," said Greyback lightly, "letting all my leverage walk out the door…"

"I'll stay," said Ellie, already anticipating this response.

"You can't -" Phineas started to say, before Greyback silenced him with a nonverbal spell.

"No wands," said Greyback, giving ground, "but they're free to go."

When none of them moved, Ellie said, "Go. I'll be fine." Then, giving Phineas a meaningful look, "trust me."

Looking like they hated every step they took, the four of them made for the door. Cat squeezed Ellie's hand on the way out and looked at her in a way that seemed to say, "I sure hope you know what you're doing."

Ellie strained her ears to make sure they actually kept walking after they got outside, but she couldn't tell.

"The recipe," Greyback demanded again.

"It's written on a piece of parchment, hidden under the big boulder across the street."

Greyback glared and said, "trying to give them a head start, I see. You don't trust my word?"

"Not especially," said Ellie.

"Well it's mutual," said Greyback. He jerked his head towards the door and one of the werewolves from before jumped up to retrieve the recipe. It seemed they weren't going to let Ellie go until they had it in their hands, if they were intending to let her go at all.

The paper was retrieved, and Greyback read it in careful silence. "These are very detailed instructions," he finally said.

"It's a very finicky potion," said Ellie, "especially with these changes."

"Then we'll need a potions master to brew it, won't we?"

Ellie glared back at him. So the recipe was just a pretense, and they were still after the same thing as before.

"With these detailed instructions, a lesser potioneer will do just fine," said Ellie boldly.

"No, I don't think so," said Greyback, "I think that me and my boys deserve the  _ best _ ."

"You'd be a fool to drink any potion I gave you, Greyback," said Ellie icily.

"Ooh strong words from the little school girl," he replied, unimpressed. "Killed a lot of people, have you?"

"A few."

Ellie hadn't meant to say it, but it just slipped out. It was technically true. She'd accidentally caused the deaths of two muggles, before she knew how to control her powers. But she'd never intended to brag about it to a group of wannabe death eaters.

Greyback hesitated for a moment in thought. He heard the truth in Ellie's unintentional words, and was reevaluating the situation.

"Ah, so the lone wolf has teeth after all," said Greyback thoughtfully. "Go."

"What?" said Ellie, caught off guard by the sudden dismissal.

"Go, before I change my mind."

Ellie didn't need to be told again.

When Ellie got to the shrieking shack, she found the four members of Tin Man discussing how best to rescue Ellie without their wands. Ben was suggesting something to do with climbing drain pipes, and Cat was making a strong argument for pretending to be a vengeful ghost.

"That's a terrible idea," interrupted Ellie.

"Ellie!" Phineas exclaimed, "You're okay!"

"You are ok, aren't you?" asked Ben.

"Did you kick their asses?" asked Cat.

Tiberius just ran up to her and gave her another hug.

Awkwardly patting him on the back, Ellie said, "There, there. You're safe now."

"Thank you for rescuing us," said Ben, "but how did you find us?"

"How did you get away?" asked Cat.

"How did you get to Hogsmeade at all?" asked Phineas.

Letting go of Ellie, Tiberius said, "You're my hero, Ellie. Did you know those guys were werewolves? I think they were planning to eat us…"

Ellie's stomach twisted guiltily. "I'm not a hero. This was all my fault. It was all to get to me…"

This confession was met with blank stares, so she explained from the beginning. She did her best to keep Snape out of the story as much as possible, and she was vague on her reasons for keeping her werewolf drama under wraps, but they seemed satisfied enough with her answers.

"So that's why you were captured by werewolves. Er, sorry…" Ellie finished lamely. "Any questions?"

"Yeah," said Tiberius, "did you manage to get our wands back?"

"Oh," said Ellie, "I didn't have a chance. It all happened so fast."

"Don't worry about it," said Tiberius, "wands are replaceable, but you aren't. I'm glad you got out of there quickly."

"Speak for yourself!" said Phineas passionately, "I have my NEWTs coming up in a few weeks! How am I supposed to take my tests without a wand?"

Ben and Cat laughed, but Ellie felt he had a point. "They won't be camped out in that house forever. Maybe you can go back for your wands when they clear out…"

"I'm not going back there ever again," said Cat vehemently. "Not after a bunch of dirty werewolves stank the place up."

"Well I'm going back for our instruments at some point," said Ben, "so I might as well look for the wands then."

"Where can you go tonight though?" asked Phineas, "I don't fancy the idea of sneaking you into the castle. Just imagine explaining all this to Umbridge…"

"She can't know any of this," said Ellie, "no one can."

"I imagine it wouldn't be good for your ministry career," said Phineas thoughtfully.

"Among other reasons, yes, that is a consideration," admitted Ellie.

"We'll go to the Boar's Head Inn for tonight," said Cat. "I'm friendly with the owner, and he knows how to keep a secret."

"Works for me," said Ben.

"We'd better get back to the castle," said Phineas, "the longer we're gone, the more likely it is that someone will notice. And I've already been missing all night…"

"Right," said Ellie, "time to go. Better fix those cuts first, though, or people will start asking questions anyway."

Phineas looked nervously at Ellie's wand hand, knowing her ineptitude with healing charms. She rolled her eyes and pulled a small bottle out of her pocket. "I brought dittany."

A few deliberately applied drops of dittany on each of them turned their faces and arms back into something appropriate for public viewing. Ellie pointed out the secret entrance she had used to get there, and Phineas made his way into the tunnel.

"See you in a few weeks, cuz," said Phineas, before disappearing out of sight. "Remember to keep our letters nice and boring for good ol' headmistress Umbridge."

"Sure thing," said Tiberius. "Hey, Ellie, before you go, can I have a minute?"

Cat and Ben slunk out of sight, and Ellie found herself alone with Tiberius for the first time probably since they'd broken up. Somehow, this made her more nervous than talking with Greyback.

He looked older than the last time she'd seen him. Maybe it was just because he wasn't wearing school robes. Or it might have been how long his hair had grown. Even all mussed up from a full day of captivity and light torture, it was a good look on him. 

"I've missed you," he said, "I know I don't write much, because I'm so busy, but I have."

"I know how busy you've been," said Ellie, "I've been busy too."

She knew that wasn't the right answer. She was supposed to say, "I missed you too." But really, she wasn't sure she had. It was good to see him now, of course, though the circumstances could have been better. But she'd hardly spared a thought for him in the last year, except in relation to Phineas. She hadn't really… missed him.

"How much of your busy schedule involves stuff like this?" asked Tiberius, possibly indicating the shrieking shack or the werewolves or the secret tunnel.

"Too much," said Ellie honestly.

"That's what I thought," said Tiberius sadly. Then, suddenly changing gear, he asked curiously, "Hey, did you read that Quibbler article? The Potter one?"

"Yeah, of course," said Ellie, "Everyone must have read it by now."

"Well I reckon he was telling the truth," said Tiberius seriously. "I think you-know-who is back."

"Yeah," said Ellie, "me too."

Tiberius took a deep breath and said, "You know how we're going to America to tour? Well Donny's coming with us, to do some introductions and whatnot. And he's - well, he's muggleborn. And if it's anything like last time. It - well, it might not be safe for him here. So he might not be coming back. And I don't know if I want to be here either, if things go back to how they were before. I know I was a real pureblood elitist about that sort of thing when we first met. But then, well, then I met you. And Donny! And others… and anyway I don't feel like that anymore. I don't like what all those escaped death eaters had to say about muggles and muggle-borns, and I don't like what they're going to do again now that they're out. And they've, you know, probably joined him again. You-know-who. And…"

"And?" Ellie prompted, as his little speech wound down.

"And I'm worried about you," Tiberius concluded.

Tiberius was still under the impression that Ellie was muggle-born, as was most everyone else except Snape, and unfortunately, Ollivander. Tiberius didn't even know that Snape had adopted Ellie. She'd told him about being an orphan at some point, but he thought she still spent her breaks at the Children's home. Under those conditions, it was not unexpected for him to be worried about her fate under the looming threat of you-know-who. Of course, her true parentage posed a much greater risk, but for her muggle upbringing alone she had plenty to fear.

When Ellie made no response, Tiberius continued, "You could come with us, you know. They aren't exactly progressive about muggle-borns over there, but it's got to be better than whatever is coming here."

"That's - that's very sweet," said Ellie earnestly. "But I can't. My whole life is here…"

"Right," said Tiberius with a sad smile, "your whole life."

Ellie belatedly realized that by saying that, she made it sound like Tiberius wasn't a part of her life. "I didn't mean -" she began.

"It's ok," said Tiberius, "the offer stands. I'd better catch up with the others, though, before they get worried…"

Before he could make his escape, Ellie wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. He returned the embrace and held her tightly for just a moment or two. 

"I'll miss you," Tiberius said.

"I'll miss you too," Ellie replied, and meant it.

Snape and Yuki waited in the Professor's office for hours, without news of Ellie or Phineas. They were both on edge, and could tolerate little conversation. At one point Snape summoned some sandwiches for them to pick at, but Yuki showed no great interest in eating.

Yuki was one of his favorite students. She was decent, if uninspired, in Potions, and she took her prefect duties more seriously than most. He'd been proud when one of his own Slytherins had been chosen as head girl. But despite this high praise from Snape, and Yuki's closeness with his daughter, they rarely spoke. Their career counselling meeting in her fifth year had been one of the strangest of his career. No NEWTs required and a fate determined at birth. He had no counselling to give.

He had no counselling to give now, either. She knew her responsibilities better than he did. She was willing to hold back her own heroic tendencies for the sake of her people, even while leaving one of her best friends in danger. Harry Potter could learn a thing or two from her, he thought.

As it was, he was trying to learn that lesson himself. He wanted to stop Ellie from going, desperately. He wanted to go to Hogsmeade himself and teach Fenrir Greyback a thing or two about threatening his students. But for the greater good, for his people, for all people… he was waiting in his office.

After an age of waiting, Ellie and Phineas finally arrived back at the office. Ellie was unhurt but Phineas didn't look well, so after extracting a summary of the events from the two of them, he had Yuki take Phineas to the hospital wing.

After confirming with Ellie at least a dozen times that her business with the werewolves was now concluded, he finally acknowledged the feat she had just accomplished.

"You did well," said Snape. "I won't always be there to protect you, Ellie. Soon, you won't be able to run to me with your problems, like you did today. You'll have to take care of them yourself."

"I know," said Ellie, "it's all part of growing up. Graduating, moving on… moving out."

"You've found some new accomodations then?"

"Old accommodations, really. I'm renting that room above Malcolm's shop again."

Snape considered the implications of this. Living in Knockturn Alley again… but he had no better suggestion. "It will do, for now."

"You'll be able to visit me, won't you?" asked Ellie, "I mean, a potions master visiting a favorite ex potions student above a potions shop… that won't raise any alarms, will it?"

Snape grimaced. "I've never visited any students before now, but… never mind, I will find a way. I won't be cutting you off completely, no matter what. A small risk here and there…"

"Good," said Ellie, "I know it won't be the same. But nothing will be. I mean, I'll be a Ministry employee! No more school, no more tests. Just work. It's not like I'll be able to tell you anything about it anyway. It's sort of in the name. Unspeakable…"

It was amazing how life carried on, thought Snape. With the world at stake, people would still persist in thinking about school or work or whatever other mundane activities occupied their daily lives. If only his job was something other than 'spy' he might not be spending every waking moment in fear. Normal people got to put that fear aside and just go to work. At least, he hoped that Ellie would be able to do that. Unless something happened with the department of mysteries…

"I'm exhausted," said Ellie, interrupting Snape's reverie. "Can I go back to the dorm now?"

"Yes, yes, of course," said Snape, realizing how tired he was himself. "We both have class in the morning. Goodnight, Ellie. I'm glad you're all safe."

Ellie wasn't able to crash into bed as soon as she would have liked, because Phineas was waiting to ambush her in the common room.

"I need a wand for class this week," said Phineas. "And I don't know when I'm going to get  _ my _ wand back. So I was thinking of placing a rush order from some discount wandmaker, but then it occured to me - I have a discount wandmaker right here!"

Ellie sighed and said, "I guess I owe you, huh. Since it's my fault you lost your wand to begin with…"

"How long will it take you to make one? I could make an excuse for a day or so, but it's seriously going to cut into my NEWT practice."

"It'll take me a few days to get the wood and the core and prepare the potions, but that might not be necessary. I still have a couple dozen wands in my trunk from my years of study. I'm not saying that they're  _ good _ wands and I never really learned how to properly match a wand with a master, but you're free to try them all and see if any of them work."

"Can we do it now?" asked Phineas, "I just feel so naked without a wand…"

"I understand," said Ellie, "be right back."

Ellie snuck down the corridor and tried not to wake her roommates as she struggled to extract the box of wands from the bottom of her trunk. She'd felt a little silly keeping it with her all the time, but it’s not like she had a more permanent home to store it in.

Back in the empty common room, she placed the large wooden box on the table.

“Nice box,” Said Phineas. “Very… ornate. Did you make it yourself?”

“No, it was a gift from Lionel. The wands, however,” said Ellie, lifting the lid, “are all mine.”

“Wow. That’s a lot of wands.”

“Keep in mind that some of these date all the way back to my third year, when I was just starting to learn. Some of them may actually explode if you do too many NEWT level spells.”

“Let’s avoid those then. So how does this work,” he asked, picking one out of the box at random, “just wave it around and see what works?”

“Hold your horses,” Said Ellie, snatching the wand back. “At least let me get some measurements first. And tell me about your old wand.”

While Ellie took the relevant measurements, Phineas said, “It’s a walnut wand. Unicorn hair core.”

“Oh good!” Said Ellie, “I actually have a few of those. And if those don’t do the trick, we’ll move on to oak… hmm I really don’t have much that isn’t unicorn hair, so we’ll just hope for the best on that front…”

He tried the first wand, with little effect. “That feels so weird. My wand always did exactly what I asked. This one feels all funny in my hand.”

“Try this instead.”

The second one exploded.

“Er, not that one then. Something a little stronger?”

The next few wands he tried were able to produce some sort of magic, but there was no real connection.

“That’s all my Walnut,” Said Ellie sadly, “I guess we’ll try some other similar wood now? I can’t even remember what some of these are. Wish I had Ollivander’s memory, he never forgets a wand…”

“You really don’t have any idea what you’re doing,” Said Phineas, “I thought you were just being humble.”

“Hey! I’ve never done this before. The only wand I’ve ever matched was made for him specifically, and he didn’t even keep it.”

“Ollivander really is the master I guess. He matched me after a two minute conversation. Well I say conversation… I was too shy to say anything. My aunt did all the talking.”

“I forgot how shy you used to be. You’d never know it from how carefree you are now.”

“Remember when I would never raise my hand in class, ever?”

“You were just this quiet little nerd. What happened?”

“I grew up I guess. Changed. Evolved.”

“Oh!” Ellie exclaimed, slapping her forehead with the palm of her hand. “I am so dumb! What was I thinking, trying to find you a wand based on the one that chose you as an eleven year old? You’re totally different now, you need something else…”

Ellie rummaged around in the box for a minute until she found the one she was looking for.

“Try this,” Said Ellie.

Phineas waved it and a few pathetic sparks came out. “Nothing.”

Undeterred, she pulled out another wand with even more confidence. This one released a noisy torrent of fireworks that singed both of their eyebrows, but Ellie wasn’t bothered. She pulled out one more wand, and handed it to Phineas reverently.

“This was one of the last ones I made, during my internship with Ollivander,” Said Ellie. “Dogwood, 11 inches, Unicorn hair core, slightly flexible.”

When he took the wand, the effect was instantaneous. His eyes lit up and a grin broke across his face. Even before he was able to produce any magic, Ellie could see that he’d made a connection with the dogwood wand. Rather than a random wave of the wand, he pointed his new wand at one of the splinters of the exploded wand and transfigured it into an elegant new quill, then he proceeded to make the feather dance across the table and start drawing on a piece of parchment.

“Neat!” Said Ellie, referring both to the match and the dancing quill.

“It feels different from my other wand,” Said Phineas, “but I like it. It feels like, I don’t know, like it wants to have fun?”

“Good enough for classes tomorrow?”

“Yeah I’d say so. I can return it as soon as I get my own wand back.”

Ellie shook her head. “It’s bad form for a wandmaker to keep a wand after its chosen a master.”

“Oh,” Said Phineas, “are you expecting me to pay for this then?”

“No it’s fine, you can have it. I got the materials for free anyway. I’m happy to have given it a good home. Just promise me you won’t throw it away when you get your other wand back.”

He held it protectively to his chest and said, “I would never! It chose me!”

“Good,” Said Ellie, through a wide yawn. “And goodnight.”

Phineas had great success with his new wand, which was fortunate because Ben was unable to recover the wands they had lost. Ellie wanted to know more about what had happened when they went back to the house and where they would be going now, but since Umbridge was having all the mail read they chose to say nothing.

"So I guess this is the wand I'll be taking my NEWTs with," said Phineas, reading the brief, and mostly coded letter. "You said that this one wouldn't explode, right?"

"No, this is one of my best," said Ellie. "Don't get me wrong, it's still not an Ollivander wand, but it  _ is _ better than a Jimmy Kiddell wand."

"Good," said Yuki miserably, "I'm already behind on my NEWT prep and I don't need any more excitement to distract me. No more excitement, ok?"

"Alright," said Ellie, "I'll do my best not to put anyone into any life threatening situations until  _ after _ exams."

"That's all I ask," said Yuki.


	19. NEWTs

As a matter of fact, Ellie didn't cause any life threatening situations before their Exams. Umbridge's chokehold on the school was stifling, but she was too absorbed in her studies to be bothered. Even the most carefree seventh years buckled down and got to studying. There were breakdowns and bursts of hysteria, but Ellie avoided the worst of it by simply not taking that many classes, and before she knew it she was sitting down to her first exam.

When Yuki and Phineas showed up for the Defence Against the Dark Arts written exam, there was a bit of a stir. Umbridge tried to have them both removed from the testing room, but the test givers wouldn't bend to her will. Unlike the rest of the teachers Umbridge had been pushing around all year, they were important Ministry officials in their own right. Phineas didn't claim to have aced the test, but Yuki emerged with a satisfied smirk that indicated her success. Ellie was confident she did well, and also confident that nothing she had done in Umbridge's class all year had anything to do with her positive performance.

The practical exam was even more fascinating. It was clear that many defence students had resigned themselves to failure months ago and hadn't even bothered to practice their OWL level Defence spells. They were tested in small groups, but everyone swapped stories afterwards so your results were never really private. There were a few standout students among the seventh years, and Ellie was proud to place herself among them, along with Yuki and Phineas.

Far more shocking to Ellie was the success of Lee Jordan, who had never been particularly academic and had barely attended more classes than the Weasley twins. When Ellie expressed this shock to Yuki though, Yuki assured her that it was because Jordan was a member of Harry Potter's secret study club. Apparently everyone in that group had done well on their Defence exams.

As in previous years, Ellie's wand seemed to deem NEWTs worthy of effort, even if the spells were ordinarily contrary to the wand's nature. Ellie was sure she hadn't achieved an outstanding on her Charms practical, but she had faith that she had at least scraped an acceptable, which was all the Ministry had asked of her.

Then, just as quickly as it had come, the exams were over. But the school was far from peaceful. Umbridge had organized some nighttime operation that took both Hagrid and McGonnagal out of the picture. The teacher's table on the last day of exams was far from full. But at dinner, it was even worse. 

"Where's Professor Snape?" asked Phineas, squinting at the head table. "And Umbridge. And look, Sinistra is leaving too. Do you think something's going on?"

"I don't know," said Ellie, suddenly losing her appetite for the celebratory meal. "But I'd like to find out. Look, Draco and the inquisitorial squad are missing too."

Looking around the room, Ellie realized that most of the students were looking up at the empty teacher's chairs nervously, between their bites of dinner. There was definitely something going on. On a sudden impulse, Ellie stood up to scan the room for any other obvious faces missing from the hall. There were definitely some empty seats at the Gryffindor table. She scanned the row of face she could see, and studied the backs of the heads of the rest, and came to the conclusion that some people were definitely missing.

"A bunch of the Gryffindor 5th years are gone," said Ellie quietly to her friends, sitting down. "Potter, Weasley, Granger… maybe more. There are definitely less red heads at the table than there were at lunch."

"Let's go find Professor Snape," said Yuki, "I'm not really enjoying this meal."

"Good idea," said Ellie, "he'll know what's going on."

The three of them made their way down to the dungeon, where they found Snape in a frenzy, tearing up his office in search of something.

"Professor?" said Ellie cautiously, not wanting to startle him. "What's going on?"

"Not now, Ellie," said Snape, only glancing up for a moment. "I need - ah, here it is."

From the bottom of a chest of drawers Snape removed something that looked suspiciously like a small, sleek crossbow.

"Er, what's that for?" asked Phineas.

Snape whipped around and glared at the trio in the doorway. "Go back to the great hall, Prewett, and stay there. You too, Yuki, Ellie. I need to go -"

Brushing past them, Snape strode out of the office with the crossbow over his shoulder, and the trio close behind.

"Professor," said Ellie again, trying to get his attention, "Really, what  _ is  _ that for? We came to see if anything was wrong when we saw how many people were missing from dinner. Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Umbridge… you?"

Snape did not seem surprised or alarmed by that list, so Ellie continued, "Gryffindor was looking a little thin too. Potter and his friends -"

"Friends?" asked Snape, stopping shortly, "Weasley as well, not just the Granger girl?"

"I - I think so -" said Ellie, frightened by the intensity of his question.

Snape tapped his foot restlessly and looked back and forth for a moment between his office and the direction he had been heading.

"Creatures!" said Yuki suddenly, "creatures impervious to magic. Hagrid always had a crossbow with him. You're going into the forest."

Snape did not deign to answer, but he didn't contradict the assertion, so Ellie decided to accept it as truth. "If Harry's out there, I want to help you search. I want to help, I want -"

"No!" said Snape, "I need you to stay here, in the castle. If you see them, though, send them… yes, send them to my office. Tell them to stay there no matter what. I need to look, to be sure, before -"

"Professor," said Phineas seriously, "we can help."

Ignoring Phineas, Snape turned to Yuki and said, " _ You _ can help. As head girl. Keep the students from wandering off. Get a head count in the dorms. Tell the other prefects. And any staff you can trust. Things may become… chaotic. Please do try to keep things under control."

"I can do that," Yuki said without hesitation, and immediately marched off in the direction of the great hall.

"What about me?" asked Phineas.

"Prewett, I want you to fetch Madame Pomfrey from dinner and make sure she stays in the hospital wing all night. We may need her. Then you are to return to your dorm and stay with the others."

Phineas jogged off to catch up with Yuki.

"And me?" asked Ellie.

"I need you to patrol," said Snape. Then, more quietly, "The Order is busy tonight. No one is watching the school. I don't know what will happen."

"You don't think - not you-know-who -"

"I don't know!" said Snape, gripping Ellie's shoulders tightly. "We don't know anything! We don't know which is the plan, and which is the decoy. We don't know who is a target, and who is a distraction! I just need you to stay alert. Any outsiders. Ministry, or Death Eater, or unknown. Umbridge has reached new levels of insanity and may start hurting students herself. I don't know, and I can't be everywhere! But where I need to be right now is the Dark Forest, looking for Harry."

"But what do I do if I see something? How do I find you?"

"Find me?" echoed Snape in exasperation. "There won't be time to find me! Just do something about it. Wand out, Ellie. And if we're both lucky, I'll see you in the morning."

It was a very strange night at Hogwarts. Umbridge’s sudden disappearance did not go unnoticed by the student body. After she’d so enjoyed lording it over the hall from Dumbledore’s chair these last few weeks, people expected to see here there. The students were restless. Word quickly spread that she’d been seen marching into the Dark Forest with Harry Potter and hadn’t come back yet.

While Yuki made sure that the prefects would do bed checks tonight, Ellie patrolled, as Snape had asked. 

In Umbridge’s office, she found the missing Slytherins, unconscious from an unpredictable combination of hexes. She woke them gently and sent them hobbling off to the hospital wing, where she hoped Madame Pomfrey would be waiting for them. From this alone, Ellie felt that Snape's anxiety was justified.

When Umbridge's curfew hit, Ellie headed back to the Slytherin common room to check in with Yuki, who said that one prefect from each house would be meeting in the Teacher's Lounge in an hour to report who was missing. The teachers had been avoiding the lounge all year, in an effort to avoid Umbridge, but now that she seemed to be missing as well, the room was fair game. Ellie let her know which of the Slytherins she had sent to the hospital, so they could factor that in.

Ellie waited up in the Common room until Yuki got back with her report. "It's just Potter and his friends who are unaccounted for now," said Yuki. "A couple Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw girl. Flitwick said we should all go to bed and see what new the morning brings. The teachers are staying up, though, I think."

"Was Snape there?" asked Ellie.

Yuki shook her head, "Sorry, he wasn't back yet. But you don't need to worry about him, he can handle himself."

Ellie wasn't worried about Snape. She was worried about Harry. And she was worried about him precisely because Snape looked worried about him when they parted ways. 

She went to bed, as she was told, but couldn't fall asleep. Somewhere out there, her Father and brother were in danger, and she could do nothing about it. She drifted off shortly before sunrise, but woke with a start not long after that. Resigning herself to a sleepless fate, she got dressed silently and went out into the castle to see what news the night brought.

Not sure what else to do, she started off towards the hospital wing, to see if Draco and his friends had been healed quickly or had to stay the night. Maybe they would be coherent enough now to tell her what had happened.

Before she got there, though, she ran into the last person she expected to see.

"Dumbledore!" Ellie exclaimed, "you're back!"

Smiling gently, he said, "Yes, it would appear so. But what, may I ask, are you doing up so early? Or perhaps -" he said, evaluating her dishevelled appearance, "doing up so late?"

"I was worried," said Ellie, "I wondered what was going on."

"Ah, you will hear all about it soon enough, I'm afraid. The morning Prophet, perhaps, or from Severus… But excuse me, I have some business in the forest to attend to."

"Is it Harry?" asked Ellie nervously, "is he still missing?"

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows curiously, "You are awake at this hour because you are worried about Harry?"

"Er, and his friends, I guess," said Ellie, "And Snape, because he went in after them. Is he back? Did he find them?"

"I see," said Dumbledore, "Well let me put those fears to rest for you, at least. They are all back at Hogwarts, and you will likely find Severus in his office, if you desire further details. Now, if you excuse me, I really must be going. Dolores has not yet made her reappearance, and I rather think that one night in the Forbidden Forest has been enough for her."

Brushing past Ellie, Dumbledore continued on his way. Ellie basically reversed her steps all the way back to Snape's office, kicking herself for not thinking to go there first.

When she got there, the office was back in order and Snape was looking less frantic, but not at all happy. If Ellie had to guess, she would say that Snape had not even attempted to sleep at any point last night.

"Are you okay?" asked Ellie, shutting the door behind her to allow a more private conversation. "What happened last night?"

Snape waved Ellie towards a seat and said, "This will all be public knowledge by tonight, so I may as well tell you now. The Ministry won't be covering this one up, not with all the witnesses. The Dark Lord launched an attack on the Ministry last night, and Potter and his friends were involved, along with most of the Order."

"By the Dark Lord, you mean his Death Eaters, right? Not you-know-who himself…"

"It was not his original intention, I think, but no. He himself duelled with Potter and the Order and Dumbledore and came face to face with The Minister of Magic before disappearing."

"Were you there too? Did anyone get hurt?"

"No," said Snape bitterly, "my job is not to join in open battle. All of the students made it back safely, thankfully."

"And the Order."

"One member," said Snape slowly, "was killed, I am told. He wasn't supposed to be there at all, but - well, there's no point in dwelling on it now. He's gone."

Ellie was afraid to ask who had died, and Snape looked like he didn't want to talk about it. Ellie just hoped that it wasn't Hagrid or McGonagall or anyone else she knew.

"What did he want?" asked Ellie instead, "at the Ministry. It was after hours, it would have been empty. What was he after?"

"He was trying to steal something," said Snape, "from the Department of Mysteries. He was foiled, however. The object was destroyed."

"The… the Department of Mysteries?" asked Ellie. "Did you know about this then? Is this what you were worried about, then, with me working there? Getting caught up in… whatever it was he wanted?"

"Yes," said Snape simply, "That was my fear."

"But then you've known about this for years!" said Ellie. "You warned me off it ages ago."

Snape confirmed this with a nod.

"But it's been destroyed now. It's over. So I won't be in danger anymore, right?" asked Ellie hopefully.

"We can hope that this is the case," said Snape quietly, "but things are going to change now, Ellie, very rapidly. Now that The Dark Lord has been forced out of hiding, he will be accelerating his plans. Don't expect to find peace anywhere."

"I choose to hope," said Ellie, not quite believing it herself as she said it.

The truth of the events came out slowly over the next few days, and by the time the owls were delivering the Sunday Prophet, everyone knew that Harry Potter had been telling the truth all along, and Voldemort was back.

The Sunday Post brought more than just newspapers, though. It seemed like every student in the school got a letter or two from worried friends and parents checking in after this revelation. They'd all be on the Hogwarts Express and headed home soon, but parents didn't want to wait that long. And with Umbridge no longer around to investigate the mail, they could write their worries more openly.

Phineas received a letter from his mom, expressing relief that he already had plans to leave the country, and hopes that he would extend his trip if possible. Even pure blood families were afraid to speak the name of Voldemort, and had no confidence that they were immune to his manipulations.

Yuki received a letter from her dad, saying that he was giving up his position as ambassador to return to Japan with Yuki. He'd run from Voldemort's control once before, and still feared for his safety as a wandless wizard. Her mom, however was staying. She feared Voldemort less than she feared being trapped in her hereditary duties back home.

At least, that's what Yuki's father wrote as the reason. In fact, Ellie knew that Yuki's mother sympathized with aspects of Voldemort's ideologies. The ones about how wizards shouldn't have to hide their magic out of fear of muggle retribution, not the ideas about murder and tyranny. But, still, the section of the letter about Yuki's mother was short enough that both Yuki and Ellie could tell there was more to the story. She didn't mention her thoughts out loud, but she had a terrible premonition that without Yuki's Father to temper her views, she would be joining Lord Voldemort's ranks. That is, if she hadn't already.

While Ellie and Phineas were reading this letter over Yuki's shoulder, Ellie received a letter of her own. She immediately recognized the stiff, expensive stationary as an official correspondence from the Ministry of Magic, much like the one she had received containing her job offer. Her stomach twisted nervously as she broke the seal and read:

_ Dear Eileen Nihil, _

_ We regret to inform you that due to the recent incident at the Ministry, we must rescind our offer of employment. While the Department of Mysteries is under inquiry, we are unable to accept any new staff. If the position becomes available in the future, we hope that you will consider joining us again. Until then, we wish you the best of luck with your job search. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Saul Croaker _

_ Department of Mysteries _

_ Ministry of Magic _

Ellie stared at the letter, open-mouthed, not sure if she wanted to cry or just scream. Wordlessly, she handed the letter to her friends to read, and put her head in her hands.

"Oh no, Ellie, I am so sorry," said Yuki softly, finishing the brief note.

"They shouldn't be allowed to do that!" said Phineas angrily, "It's not fair!"

"What is it?" asked Donna, who was sitting across from them at the Slytherin table.

Pushing herself away from the table and her unfinished breakfast, she ignored Donna completely and stalked out of the Great Hall by herself. She really didn't want to explain to Donna Grelwin that the cool Ministry career that she'd been bragging about for weeks was now over before it began. Phineas was right, it wasn't fair! Donna had never done anything more notable than hit a bludger really hard and yet she had a strong career that couldn't disappear from under her feet at any moment.

Halfway down the corridor to the Slytherin common room, Yuki and Phineas caught up with her. Sensitive to her internal monologue, they stayed quiet until she initiated the conversation.

Plopping herself down in a quiet corner of the common room, she said, “I wish I’d listened to Snape. He told me to stay away from the Department of Mysteries and I ignored him like an idiot because I thought I knew better. And I took  _ Umbridge’s _ advice instead! What kind of idiot does that?”

“Hey, we all thought it was a great idea,” Said Phineas gently. “There was no way you could have predicted this.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Said Ellie miserably. “It was everything I always wanted. I would have been brilliant! I was going to change the world! But now it’s all ruined.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Said Yuki.

“I don’t blame myself!” Said Ellie, contrary to her previous statements. “I blame Voldemort.”

Yuki and Phineas gasped in unison.

“You said his name!” Whispered Phineas accusatorally.

“I’m not afraid of him!” Said Ellie fiercely, “I’m going to kill him.”

Phineas hushed her and glanced around the room to see if anyone had overheard, but the few third years on the other side of the room hadn’t looked up from their conversation.

"You can't say stuff like that," said Yuki, "it's not safe!"

"Nothing is safe!" said Ellie, tears springing to her eyes. "Not while he's out there. For years I've just been keeping my head down and staying out of trouble and pretending like nothing was going on just so that I could lead a normal life, but I can't! I never could! I can't run away from this! I have to  _ do _ something! I have to stop him."

"I fully endorse running away," said Phineas crossing his arms. "What do you think you could do to him anyway? Not even Dumbledore was able to defeat him, and he's the most powerful wizard in the world. Or the second most powerful, evidently."

"He could kill you in a heartbeat," said Yuki, "or worse, he could take a really really long time to do it."

"I don't care!" Ellie replied. "I don't care if I die! Maybe this is something worth dying for."

"Suicide by heroism, very classy," said Phineas sarcastically, "can't wait to tell Tiberius that you'd rather die than run away with him."

"You lost a job, Ellie," said Yuki. "That's it. Don't you think this is a little extreme?"

"It wasn't just a job! It was  _ the _ job. My dream job. And now I have  _ no _ job, which might not sound like a big deal to you, but to me that means I'll be homeless in a few months."

Ellie didn't think that this was the most important point she'd made, but it was the most pressing matter at the moment. Somehow, despite all the incredible things she'd accomplished this year, she still found herself in the same situation as last summer. Both of her friends out of reach, this time with no immediate plans to come back. Unable to see her father, except under the most cautious and planned circumstances. Unable to return to her home, now an abode more visited by Death Eaters than friends. She had an apartment, but no way to pay for it. Jobless, nearly penniless, with no backup plan, and this time she didn't even have Hogwarts to return to.

It was that thought that made the brimming tears pour out in full force. Yuki sat on the edge of the armchair and wrapped Ellie in a tight hug, but that only made her cry harder. Yuki would be gone in a matter of days, and there would be no one to hug her anymore. She would be alone, utterly alone.

"What am I going to do?" she choked out through the tears.

Phineas knelt by her chair and took her hand softly in both of his own. "You're brilliant, Ellie, and I know that you'll be able to find something. You're a gifted witch and more hard working than just about anyone else I've ever met. And speaking as the proud owner of a Nihil wand, I still think you have a promising career in wandmaking."

"You're still going to go to Ollivander for a real wand, though, aren't you? As soon as you get to London…"

"No," said Phineas, "I'm keeping this one. And believe me, that's not something I could lie about. I love this wand. It's perfect for me, and only you could have made something that suited me so well."

"Thanks," said Ellie, extracting her hand from his so she could wipe her runny nose. "That really means a lot to me. But it's not going to keep a roof over my head. Most aspiring wandmakers never turn a profit. With the cost of materials, and the inventory you have to build up before you can reliably match a wand to anyone who walks in… Ollivander's shop only stays afloat because his ancestors cornered the market hundreds of years ago."

"I'll bet Malcolm would hire you again," said Yuki. "You did such a great job at the apothecary before, and you're already right there…"

"Great," said Ellie, "I get to beg him for a job,  _ again _ . It's pathetic."

"It's not," said Yuki. "He knows how hard you worked for the Department of Mysteries job. And he obviously knows some of what happened down there, everyone does. He'll understand."

Ellie felt like she was slipping backward. It's like the whole year meant nothing. The only job she might be able to get was the one she was able to get as an unqualified underage witch. And she wouldn't even know for sure about that until she got to London. Malcolm could still turn her down. And then she'd have no job  _ and _ no apartment.

As far as backup plans went, it wasn't very comforting. 

Ellie did her best to stop moping and make the most of her last ever days at Hogwarts. She spent as much time as possible with her friends, who she wouldn't be seeing for a good long while, and also with Snape.

Snape did not seem surprised that the Ministry job had fallen through, but he spared her the I-told-you-so's. He told her that he would put as much gold as he could spare in her Gringott's vault, and that he would keep an eye out for any job opportunities that might come her way.

"You should wait for your NEWT results," Snape advised. "You will have many more job opportunities with those qualifications to show."

"You were right all along," said Ellie sadly, "I should have taken more NEWTs."

"I don't think I was right, Ellie. The research you conducted has an inherent value far beyond what certifications can be exchanged for monetary value."

"I think you're just saying that to cheer me up."

"Is it working?"

"... yeah, a little."

"Then I'm glad I said it, although it pains me greatly to ever admit I was wrong."

Ellie left their meeting feeling a little better. She was still anxious about her summer and lifetime plans, but it reminded her that Snape was still her father, whether she could see him every day or not. Whatever happened, as long as he was out there, she would never be truly alone.

The train ride back from Hogwarts was bittersweet. It was so strange to think that she would never be doing this again. The 7th years were all talking about their plans after graduation, and most were excited about it. Adrian and Theo were joining the Healer training program for a few more years of school. Donna was off to work at her parents' store so that they could retire in a few years. Everyone wanted to hear about Phineas's plans to join the big music biz across the pond.

But it was also sad. This would be the last time they were all together. They had lived together for years, ever since they were kids, and now… now they were all going their separate ways. For the first time, none of them knew when they were going to see each other next. There was no Hogwarts for any of them, come September.

There was a lot of laughing, a lot of crying, and a lot of promises to write or visit.

Saying goodbye to the rest of the Slytherin group, Ellie walked with Yuki and Phineas down the platform to where their parents were waiting. Ellie couldn't help noticing that Yuki's mom was absent. She'd missed Hogwarts Express drop offs before, but never pick ups. But now was not the time to ask about it.

After the requisite parent hugging, Yuki and Phineas turned back to Ellie.

"So, this is it," Ellie said, putting on a brave smile.

"This is it," Yuki confirmed.

Phineas pulled them into a group hug and said, "I'm going to miss you guys so much."

They stayed like that for a long time, until the station conductor indicated that it was their turn to step through the barrier into the muggle train station.

Phineas and his parents went first. Then Yuki and her dad. Giving them a long headstart, Ellie finally went through herself. She hated the thought of saying goodbye, then running into them at the taxi stand. It would just be too hard to do that again. 

Although, she realized, they hadn't actually said the word Goodbye. It was too final, too real somehow. But she wished she'd said something more meaningful than "this is it." She wished that she had said, "stay safe."

She thought it to herself now. She wished it with all her heart. Stay safe, my friends. Run as far as you can and don't wait around here to see what happens next. As she thought the words, she felt the magic well up in her chest, like she was casting a protective incantation.  _ Be safe _ .


	20. Ollivander

Ellie made her way to Knockturn Alley easily enough, and Malcolm was already expecting her, so she could get the key to her apartment. She didn't broach the topic of employment right away. First she needed some time to rest, and to think.

She slept in the next morning, and when she woke up, she found that she still didn't want to beg Malcolm for her job back. If she was to do any begging, the person she wanted to see first was Ollivander. He was a loose end that was really bugging her. He was the only person in the world who might accidentally spill the secret of Snape being her father, and she couldn't afford to be on bad terms with him. Her letters were ineffective, but she was not above going to his shop in person to beg his forgiveness. It had been a full year, and that was long enough to wait.

Ellie hesitated outside his shop for a moment, but only a moment. This was something she had to do.

As soon as she walked in the door, though, an alarm started blaring and some device hanging above the counter began putting out a threatening light. The door had been unlocked and she was sure the sign had said "open" so she had no idea what she'd done to set off Ollivander's secrecy sensors or dark detectors or whatever it was that was making that awful noise.

"Who's there?" came the crackly voice from behind the stacks of wands, "identify yourself immediately, or I'll show you what my wand and I can do!"

"It's me!" Ellie shouted, struggling to be heard over the alarms, "it's Ellie!"

With a flick of the wand, Ollivander silenced the alarm and the room returned to its usual eerie silence. "You're not welcome here," said Ollivander testily. Then, jabbing his wand at the device on the ceiling, he added, "You're on the blacklist."

"What did I do to deserve that?"

"You threatened me. I don't take threats lightly."

"It was an empty threat," said Ellie, more impatiently than she intended, "you just caught me off guard, alright? I'm sorry. I am really, really sorry, okay? I just… I can't explain it."

"I don't care what your reasons are. I kept your little secret to myself for years and never told a soul. I opened my shop to you, trained you as I did my own children, and trusted you with secrets that have been exclusive to the Ollivander family for generations. And you repaid me by distrusting me, threatening me, and abandoning wandmaking like a cheap hobby you'd grown tired of. You are not welcome in this shop. Leave."

This hurt Ellie deeply. Ollivander was always gruff, but he seemed, well, hurt. Deeply and personally. "It's not a hobby," said Ellie quietly, making no move to leave. "It's a family business. And I'm not family. That's what you always said."

"You'll never be a master wandmaker if you can't learn to read people."

Ellie felt that somewhere along the way, long before their fight, she had failed an important test. "I've gotten better at reading people. Just recently I placed one of my wands with a new master…"

Ellie could see Ollivander's curiosity battling it out with his desire to kick her out of the shop as soon as possible. Finally, the curiosity seemed to win out, and he said, "Not one of the exploding ones, I hope."

"No, one of the good ones. Dogwood and Unicorn. I made it here, in your shop…"

"I remember that one," said Ollivander, with some of his old twinkle in his eye, "Very creative, playful… who was it for, I wonder? Not an easy wood to work with, Dogwood. Can't abide a rigid wielder, and with Unicorn hair, at that… not a wand made for times like this, I'm afraid…"

"I'd like to tell you about it. If you didn't mind…" Ellie looked hopefully towards the back of the shop, where they used to sit together in the workshop from time to time.

Ollivander furrowed his brow a little, but there was no disguising that glint in his eye. He wanted to know what progress Ellie had made in her wandlore, outside of his tutelage. He pointed his wand at the security device on the ceiling, which glowed briefly, and said, "Fine, you're off the blacklist, Ellie."

Before they could move to the workshop, though, another customer came in, setting off the alarms again.

"We're closed!" bellowed Ollivander, pointing his wand at the startled witch, who ran back outside much more quickly than she had come in.

First he jabbed his wand at the alarm, silencing it again, and then at the door, which did indeed flip the sign to closed.

Ellie thought that this new security system couldn't possibly be good for business, but now was not the time to say that. Now was the time to impress Ollivander with her growth.

They had a good long conversation, first about wand placement and then about the inherent properties of magical plants, of which Ellie now knew more than Ollivander. At the end of it, their fight seemed like a thing of the past. Ellie didn't bring up the issue of her father again. If Ollivander said she could trust him, that would just have to be good enough.

Their relationship was not yet so mended that she could ask him for a paying job, though, so she headed back to Malcolm's to commence her begging. It seemed much easier now, somehow. With one hurdle cleared, the next didn't seem quite so hard.

Yuki was right. Malcolm did understand, and hired her back right away. Her desperation, however, made a poor bargaining chip in salary negotiation. She ended up with a deal that was even worse than last summer. His justification was that it was more expensive to hire someone long term, so he couldn't afford the same summer intern rate. There were several flaws in this logic, but Ellie didn't have the will to press the point, so she accepted what she got. It would be enough, for now, barely.

After the incident at the Ministry, the Dark Lord was forced to abandon his former hideaway. Snape was surprised when he was summoned to the Malfoy manor, since Lucius had landed himself in Azkaban, but Voldemort had decided that the out of the way and richly protected manor house was the perfect headquarters.

When he arrived, there were already a number of Death Eaters seated at the long dining table, although not as many as there had been on other occasions. Many of the Dark Lord's favorites were now behind bars, at least temporarily. With most of the old crowd missing, Snape found himself seated at Voldemort's right hand. 

When Voldemort gestured for him to sit in the place of honor that had been occupied by Lucius for so long, he felt an absurd rush of pride. This was exactly what he wanted when he first joined the Death Eaters as a teenager. The most important seat at the table, next to their leader. Power, respect, fear. He had reached the top. Subconsciously, his mind starting weaving plots of how to keep this seat. How to prevent Avery or Bellatrix from usurping him when they inevitably made their escape…

_ This power is not for me _ , he reminded himself forcefully. He was only there on Dumbledore's orders. But Dumbledore would be pleased, wouldn't he? The closer Snape was to the Dark Lord, the more useful he became. From this seat, he could shift the balance of the war. These are the thoughts he told himself, like a conversation in his mind. But underneath it, there was the primal satisfaction of raw power, of a table full of underlings who wanted his favor. He could see it in their expressions, in their posture, when he sat down. They would stand up straighter when he walked by now. 

He had no such respect in meetings with the Order. They all resented his presence, but grudgingly gave him a seat at the table on Dumbledore's orders. But here… here his voice was sought after, and his suggestions taken seriously. 

The first part of the meeting revolved around Azkaban. The Dark Lord wanted his servants back as quickly as possible, and the remaining Death Eaters were going to make it happen. Already, an expedition was being planned. Several of the strongest fighters in their numbers, along with some new recruits who needed testing, were to head to the island and defeat any wizards who might be around, and then the Dementors would release whatever prisoners they requested. Snape would convey this plan to Dumbledore in full, but it was ultimately up to Dumbledore which information to act on.

The next part of the meeting revolved around Ollivander. The Dark Lord wanted him for something, he wouldn't say what, but he had proven harder to capture than originally anticipated.

"It's just as my brother reported before, my Lord," said Alecto Carrow, "his shop is full of sneakoscopes, secrecy sensors, dark detectors, other security measures I couldn't identify. He's been warned, and he's prepared for us. And he doesn't leave the building anymore. Everything is being delivered. His caution is… unprecedented. The moment my foot crossed the threshold, all the alarms went off and he threw me out."

"You disappoint me, Alecto," said Voldemort. "I had hoped you would prove more resourceful than this."

"My Lord, " said Amycus Carrow, Alecto's brother, "I am confident that together we could overpower him. He's an old man, and -"

"I have already told you that this must be done quietly. The old wandmaker must seem to simply… disappear. I do not like to repeat myself, Amycus."

Snape smirked while Amycus stuttered his apology and attempted to correct his mistake. Unsurprisingly, it was his sister who came to his rescue.

"My Lord," said Alecto, "I have observed others going in and out of his shop who do not trigger his security wards, or at least not all of them. They appear to be people he knows and trusts."

Further down the table, Goyle chimed in, "The men making deliveries? A strong Imperius might -"

"I've tried it already," she interrupted, refusing to let anyone else steal her thunder. "He doesn't allow them in the door. As I said, he is extremely cautious. I tracked down both of his children, though, to see if he would be more willing to let them in."

"And was he?" prompte me Goyle.

"I don't know," said Alecto sharply, clearly resenting the second interruption. "They've both disappeared. Closed up shop, left no forwarding address. Gone into hiding it seems. With a little time, I might be able to track them down and -"

"I grow weary of your list of failures," said Voldemort cooly. "If you cannot handle this assignment, I am sure Goyle has some new ideas to try…"

Goyle leaned forward, eager to prove himself, but Alecto was faster. "My Lord, allow me one more attempt, and I won't disappoint you. This one will not take so long."

Voldemort nodded for her to continue, and Goyle sat back with a scowl.

Alecto spoke quickly, "I saw a girl in his shop today, when I tried to enter myself. They were talking, and appeared friendly, so I stuck around to watch. She was in there with him for hours before she came out. And she was smiling when she left. They must be friends."

Goyle looked like he was about to interrupt again, so Alecto spoke even faster, "I followed her home. Well, initially, I followed her to Knockturn Alley, where she stopped into the apothecary. And she seemed friendly with Malcolm as well. When she finally came out after talking with  _ him _ for a few hours, she popped right back inside, through a different door. I deduced that she lived there, above his shop."

Snape was suppressing his unpleasant suspicions throughout the entire story, but that last bit was impossible to ignore. Surely, she was talking about Ellie?

She continued, "I think I could put her under the Imperius curse, easily. She looked young, maybe still Hogwarts age. If I can just get her body inside without setting off any alarms, I think I can get Ollivander to come, nice and quiet."

Snape's face was expressionless, but inside he was in full-blown panic mode. What would happen when Alecto tried to put Ellie under the Imperius curse, and she found that she couldn't? She wouldn't stop to chat about it, that much was certain. There would be a fight. And knowing Alecto's skill, it was obvious who would win. And when Alecto won, it was lethal.

Before Snape could think of a solution, Goyle took advantage of Alecto's need to breathe and blurted, "It won't work!" 

Snape could have kissed him. Please, please let him have a good reason why it wouldn't work. 

Goyle continued, "All those dark detectors are bound to pick up the Imperius curse right away. She won't even make it through the door."

"Well we won't know that until we try, will we?" Alecto pushed back.

Snape was about to chime in to endorse Goyle’s point of view, when Voldemort raised his hand for silence.

"Do you believe this will work, Alecto?" said Voldemort quietly.

"Yes, my Lord," said Alecto, a little too quickly.

"Then you will attempt it," said Voldemort. "And if you fail, I will know the limits of your usefulness."

Alecto gulped nervously but nodded her assent anyway, as she had no other choice. They all knew she would fail, but once the Dark Lord gave an order, there was no opposing it.

_ Or was there, _ thought Snape desperately. What was the point of being the Dark Lord's right hand man if he couldn't even use the power to protect his own daughter?

"My Lord," said Snape, drawing every eye at the table that was so studiously avoiding Alecto's doomed visage. "May I suggest a more, ah,  _ viable _ option."

Goyle was glaring daggers, but Alecto had a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Despite the thinly veiled insult in Snape's words, it appeared that he was coming to her rescue.

"Continue, Severus," the Dark Lord said, locking eyes with Snape.

Snape could feel the probes biting into his mind. Had his Occlumency ever been tested like this before? Could he maintain the calm, emotionless cool he needed while Ellie's life was on the line? Could he lie convincingly, here, with so much at stake?

He pushed the doubt out of his mind. He had to succeed.

"My Lord, I believe I know the girl of whom Alecto spoke. A favorite student of mine."

He allowed Voldemort access to a quick series of memories, to affirm the truth of this. Ellie working on a potion with him outside of class, Ellie smiling at him, his pride while grading her early potions essays. It was difficult to keep these thoughts walled off from the more dangerous memories of Ellie. Brewing potions together in his home, a fatherly pat on the back after an exceptionally well made extracurricular potion, the potions discussions that occurred during their intimate Sunday conversations. But he kept those memories secure, because he had to.

"She has previously worked for both Ollivander and Malcolm."

He kept the memory of his brief visit to see Ellie at Malcolm's last summer carefully locked down. The emotions tied up in that memory were far too complex to serve his purpose. Instead, there was a later memory of Ellie doing something in class, and Snape thinking that she must have learned that trick from Malcolm, because she hadn't learned it from him. He could feel Voldemort latch on to that emotion. It was jealousy, almost. A weakness Voldemort could smell from a mile away. He could have that weakness, though. While he dug his teeth into that jealousy, he could detect no lies in Snape's mind.

"She was a Slytherin, so I knew her well as her Head of House."

There were too many harmless memories to affirm that statement. Again, he struggled to separate the harmless from the suspicious. But he managed to do it, as no other Occlumens in history ever had. But now came the hard part. The larger than little white lies.

"Based on my history with her, I think that she may be, ah… sympathetic to our cause. If I speak with her, I may be able to persuade her to help us willingly. If I am right, she will be much more useful to us as an active supporter than an Imperiused slave."

"And if you are wrong?" demanded Goyle.

"I'm not," Snape lied cooly, much more convincingly than Alecto had. 

Voldemort shifted his gaze to Goyle, which stopped his retort in its tracks. "We must not ignore an opportunity to bring young talent into the fold," said Voldemort idley. "Speak with her, Severus, and bring me my prize."

Ellie had only been working at Malcolm's for a few days, when Snape came and found her in the shop. She'd expect another long delay in correspondence, like last summer, but was relieved to be seeing him so soon. She already had so much to tell him.

After telling Malcolm that she was taking her lunch break, she invited Snape up to her apartment for a more private chat. Before allowing him to have a seat, she insisted that he perform whatever charm he used at home to keep the rooms cool. She didn't want to spend another summer melting in this attic room. When he'd done that, she started telling him about making up with Ollivander, and that Phineas had already written, and the Nomad was out with her reply, but would be back soon.

She was so busy prattling on about her own life, that it took her ages to notice that Snape wasn't really engaging with the conversation and looked anxious, and even paler than usual. Breaking off her thread of conversation, she suddenly said, "what's wrong? You don't look so good."

Snape told her.

"I don't understand what you want me to do," said Ellie, after Snape had explained the situation.

"I already got permission from Dumbledore. The Dark Lord is going to get his hands on Ollivander no matter what. If all these sneaking strategies don't work he will eventually use force, which will. He could run to the ends of the earth, but the Dark Lord would find him. But Dumbledore is convinced that Ollivander doesn't have what The Dark Lord seeks, so we lose nothing by allowing his capture -"

"Are you telling me that Dumbledore is allowing you-know-who to have Ollivander, just because he can't be bothered to protect him?"

"He's a useful distraction," said Snape, waving the question away, "the more time he spends trying to extract non existent information from a dried up source, the less time he spends doing everything else. And now it's a way for me to gain favor with the Dark Lord, to earn his trust. We'll need that later, as more Death Eaters scramble for the top. I need to stay in favor."

"So you decided to sacrifice Ollivander," said Ellie in disbelief.

"As I said, as long as he is alive, The Dark Lord would find a way to get him anyway. We are simply taking control of the inevitable situation."

"This is bad," said Ellie, shaking her head, "this is really bad."

"I know he's your mentor. But this is war, and -"

"You don't understand!" Ellie burst out, "he knows!"

"Knows what?"

"He knows," said Ellie, putting weight into every word, "that you are my father."

"You told him?" asked Snape, getting angry, "after everything we talked about -"

"I told him nothing! He's known since the first day I saw him, when you brought me to Diagon Alley."

"But, that was before -" 

Ellie could see him going through the same thought process that she had last year. If it was before Snape adopted her, then it must mean - "He knows that you are my  _ biological _ father. He knew before we did."

"No," Snape groaned, "how?"

"Your mother."

This seemed to completely baffle him. Which made sense, because he literally never talked about his mother. The only thing he'd ever told Ellie about her was that she was Ellie's namesake.

Ellie explained, "We have twin wands. That isn't proof of anything, but I guess he could see the family resemblance or something. He doesn't need proof though.  _ He _ believes it, so he could still tell someone about it."

"Why didn't you tell me about this so we could have done something about it?"

"I thought I was doing something about it! I made up with him and apologized so he would like me too much to ever betray my secret. But how was I supposed to know that you and Dumbledore were planning to hand him over to the Dark Lord on a silver platter?!"

"This is bad." Snape said, before sinking into a thoughtful silence.

Ellie tried to think of some solution but her mind just ran in circles, finding impossible obstacles at every turn.

Finally, Snape said, "This changes nothing. We still have to follow through on the plan."

"But they're going to torture him," said Ellie, "what do we do if The Dark Lord finds out about us?"

"We'll do exactly what you've wanted to do all along. I hope you've been practicing you're occlumency."

"I don't understand."

"You wanted to join The Order of the Phoenix? Fine, you're in. I'm tired of fighting it. But you're in as a spy, like me. The Dark Lord will think you are his, because I am his. And Dumbledore will know your true allegiance, because he knows mine. If Ollivander talks, I'll invent some fake mother for you. Some local muggle."

"But what about Miss Trumble? She met Lily, she knows."

"I obliviated her years ago, Ellie."

"Oh."

"Are you ready for this?" asked Snape.

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

Ellie felt like she'd suddenly learned the meaning of "be careful what you wish for."

"I just wish -" said Ellie, stifling an urge to cry, "I just wish that I didn't have to start this whole thing out by betraying someone I care about."

"It's the only way to appease the Dark Lord."

"I know - it's just -"

"Just what? Hard? Did you think my job was easy?"

"He'll think I was setting him up all along. He'll think I only apologized so I could get through his defences. He'll never forgive me."

"No, he'll never forgive you. But you'll know that his sacrifice saved lives."

"I don't understand how it's saving anyone!"

"His preoccupation with the wrong wandmaker is valuable somehow. Don't ask me how, but it is. Dumbledore knows, and that has to be enough for all of us. We are delaying his goals, and if we delay them long enough, we may have the chance to defeat him."

"After I do this, will I have to do more? Will I have to do whatever the Dark Lord tells me to do?"

"Right now, you are my pawn in my plan, and the Dark Lord won't be telling you anything. If we're lucky, he will use you and forget you. If not… Well, if not, you may find more opportunities to save people on your assignments."

"The life of a double agent," said Ellie glumly.

"My life," said Snape, "and now yours."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll post the final chapter after I get some comments. Please tell me if you’re reading!!


	21. Darkness Risen

The next day, Ellie entered Ollivander’s shop just before closing. She’d almost hoped that the alarms would start blaring so she’d have a decent excuse to back out of the plan, but the room remained deathly still. No sneakoscopes spun, no dark detectors dinged. Just the little bell on the door ringing to announce her arrival. She thought that her guilty conscience ought to be setting off one of them at least, but maybe when she’d been removed from the blacklist, she was put on the whitelist. And now nothing she did could alert Ollivander to what was to happen next.

The old wandmaker scurried to the front of the shop at the sound of the bell, and seeing Ellie, turned the open sign to closed.

“Come on back,” Said Ollivander. “I was just making tea.”

Ellie followed him into the back workroom and sat down at a little table. He fetched an extra cup and poured them both some tea. 

Ollivander was being especially nice, and it made what she had to do next even harder.

“Hey Ollivander, I wanted to show you something.”

“Hmm?” He said, sitting down and stirring some sugar into his tea.

“It’s this thing my wand does,” Said Ellie, “look here.”

Ellie pulled out her wand and held it between them, pointed at the ceiling. Then, before she could second guess herself, she pronounced, “ _ Restinctio Lux _ .”

Ollivander was hit by the full force of the spell. A wave of peaceful contentment washed over him, and he was nearly paralyzed by it. Ellie has long since learned how to counteract the effects of her own invented spell, and had cast the counter curse on herself before walking in. Ollivander, however, was not prepared at all, and was helpless in the face of such pure unfiltered peace. 

Knowing he could see and hear just fine, although he was too contented to react to anything, Ellie took one of his hands in her own and said, “I’m sorry. I know you’ll never forgive me, but I am so so sorry. I wish there was another way.”

Ellie gripped his hand tightly, focused, and twisted in her seat. 

She apparated to the front of the Malfoy Manor, dragging Ollivander along with her. Finding himself suddenly without the chair he had been sitting on, he fell gracelessly to the ground, and seemed content to stay there.

As promised, Snape was right there waiting for her. “I’ll take it from here,” he said, gently but firmly.

Ellie nodded weakly, stomach still turning with guilt, but before she could apparate away again, a hooded figure came out of the manor house and called for her to wait. The deep voice sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place it without a face. Was this someone she'd met working at Malcolm's? A father of a classmate? Whoever it was, he was inviting Ellie to come inside with Snape and Ollivander.

"It would seem," said Snape quietly, "that you are about to have the great honor of meeting the Dark Lord."

Ellie nodded and obeyed the beckoning figure, but her mouth was too dry to say anything. She had to master her emotions, get her fear under control, before she entered the building, or all her occlumency training was for nothing. She took a deep breath. Then she took another. Still shaking, but with a calmer heartbeat, she crossed the threshold into the Dark Lord's realm.

Snape walked before her, half-carrying Ollivander's yielding frame, still too dazed by her spell to walk on his own. Ellie lurked behind, wishing to disappear into the impressive shadow cast by Snape's billowing cloak.

She followed him into a grand room, decorated with lush furniture and gold details that sparkled and danced menacingly in the firelight. Around the walls, more masked Death Eaters stood at attention. She felt surrounded, trapped. She tried to remind herself that she was entering the room triumphantly, having just rendered a great service to the Dark Lord that none before her could accomplish.

Then, peeking cautiously around Snape's shoulder, she caught her first sight of the Dark Lord with her own eyes.

She had seen him once before in Snape's memory, but it did not compare to the impressive figure before her now. Seated upon a chair like a throne, flanked by his anonymous supporters, with a snake draped around his shoulders, staring out at the world he owned through two red eyes in a pale, inhuman face. Ellie shivered.

Then, she saw who stood beside him, unmasked, and froze.

Fenrir Greyback.

What had Greyback told his master, she wondered. And did it negate the service she had just rendered the Dark Lord? Pushing down the panic that threatened to overwhelm her, she focused only on her breathing, as Lord Voldemort began to speak.

"Ah, Severus," he began, "you have brought me my gift. And so quickly! Bring him here, Severus, bring him here…"

Snape pushed the wandmaker forward, keeping a tight grip on his arm. Ellie did not dare to approach the seat of power uninvited, so she remained rooted to the spot. Stripped of her shield, she stood alone by the entrance, feeling as vulnerable as she ever had. Her hand itched for her wand, but that would do no good here. Her only defence against the Dark Lord was her mind.

"I have waited a long time for this," said the Dark Lord to Ollivander. "We will have such interesting conversations, you and I. But you do not look afraid…"

"It's the effects of the spell," said Snape, "it will wear off soon."

"Curious. I always imagined that when you came before me, it would be on your knees. But instead you walk in, not even disarmed," said Voldemort. He reached into Ollivander's pocket and removed the wand. Ollivander did not resist. "No matter, no matter. You are here now. Put him downstairs. We will talk again when he has regained his wits."

One of the Death Eaters by the wall came forward to relieve Snape of his prisoner. Bowing slightly, Snape took a few steps out of the way, leaving Ellie in the Dark Lord's direct line of sight. She tried not to look at him or Greyback, who was still standing silently beside the Dark Lord's throne.

"Come forward, child," Voldemort called to her, "let me look at you."

Ellie walked forward, fearing that her legs would fail her at each step, then dropped to one knee when she drew level with Snape. "My Lord," she said respectfully. To her surprise, her voice didn't even tremble.

"Stand, Ellie. Look at me."

Hearing her name in Voldemort's mouth made her skin crawl, but she obeyed. She raised herself to her feet, and met the Dark Lord's eyes.

Immediately, Ellie understood what Snape had meant when he said that the Dark Lord's prowess as a Legilimens far exceeded his own capabilities. There was no denying that creeping presence. His mind was so foreign and cold, that she wanted to retreat behind steel walls as she had when she first learned the skill. But she resisted the impulse, and left her mind half open, as Snape had taught her. She allowed him to feel how frightened she was. She should be frightened, he expected it. Right now, he was just testing the air, as it were, and he was expending no great effort to unlock her mind. So she let him taste what he expected, in the hopes he would not delve deeper. Even this brief brush with her mind, this cursory attempt to discern any lies, was enough to convince her that she was nowhere near ready to keep him out of her thoughts, should he make any real effort.

"You've done well, Ellie," Voldemort continued. "It seems that Severus did not misplace his faith in you."

"Thank you, my Lord."

"And yet, it has come to my attention that not all have found you so trustworthy…"

Ellie glanced at Greyback, who was grinning evilly. Ellie resisted the urge to pull out her wand and hex him right then.

"That was a nasty trick you pulled with that wolfsbane recipe," said Greyback.

"I told you that you would be a fool to drink any potion I gave you," Ellie replied coolly.

"Clearly, I listened, or I wouldn't be here, would I? But some of my boys thought it was worth the risk. After the first transformation went so well, more wanted to try it. That was one very slow working poison you devised."

Ellie felt more than a little pride in that accomplishment. She didn't have much time to change the recipe, rushed as she was to save her friends in Tin Man, but there was no way she was going to just give them the key to unlocking their werewolf state. Wolfsbane was always one mistake away from becoming a deadly poison, which is why so few potioneers were able to brew it. But to make a change that didn't cause instant death? That was a real challenge.

"You shouldn't have threatened me if you weren't up for the fight," Ellie said.

Greyback snarled in response, but the Dark Lord smiled in amusement and said, "Peace, Greyback. A few dead dogs is no great loss. You'll have new recruits before long, better ones. I have no place in my army for the weak and stupid."

Greyback stopped baring his teeth like a wild thing, but didn't look any less angry. "I want the real potion. The one you gave Vilks."

"There is no real potion," said Ellie mockingly, "it's just a little doggy fantasy. What I gave Vilks would have killed him too, if he'd used it two months in a row. The poison builds up, and it doesn't go away. He just didn't notice because the moonsickness always makes him feel terrible."

Greyback looked both shocked and horrified, which is exactly how Ellie would have felt if the tables were turned. It was all lies, of course. But who else had the potions knowledge to contradict her? Dumbledore? Malcolm? Snape? Whoever had taught potions before Snape? Not many. And none who wanted to help Fenrir Greyback.

"Enough," said the Dark Lord, tiring of this bickering. "You both serve me now, and you will put this childish fight behind you."

Ellie didn't think it was a childish fight, but nonetheless, she bowed her head and said, "yes, my Lord," just as Greyback did.

Snape was not permitted to leave until well after Ellie was dismissed, so their debriefing was long delayed.

It was into the early hours of the next morning when Snape finally called on Ellie, but she was still awake.

“What happened after I left?” She asked. “Did Greyback say anything else?”

“No, he left shortly after you did. We had other matters to discuss…”

“Like what?”

Snape sighed heavily. He was exhausted and didn’t want to give her a run down of every single thing the Dark lord had said.

“You can’t do that anymore,” Said Ellie, “You can’t dismiss my questions. I’m already in too deep. You have to tell me everything.”

“There are things that must be kept between Dumbledore and myself,” Said Snape, “but apart from those… you are right. You need to know. I will tell you everything - nearly everything. But first, we need to discuss what happened before you left.”

“Oh… that. I did well, didn’t I? He couldn’t tell that I was lying?”

“Yes, you did very well in the Dark Lord’s presence. Too well, perhaps. He was quite impressed with you.”

“What - what exactly impressed him?”

“Your decorum, your creative charm use,” Snape listed, “your ruthlessness.”

Ellie looked confused by this, which was baffling to him after the show she’d just put on.

“Ellie, what exactly did you do to Greyback’s pack?”

“I couldn’t give them the real potion,” Said Ellie. “You know what they would have done with that.”

“But what you did… do you really not understand what you did?”

“I took care of the problem.”

“Ellie, three men died.” When this didn’t make an impression, he added, “You killed them.”

“I told them not to use the potion,” Said Ellie defensively. “And besides, they deserved it.”

“It is not for you to decide who lives and dies.”

“It’s not for them to decide either! These wolves weren’t innocent. This was no ordinary wolfsbane they were seeking to ease their pain. They wanted my potion so they could be self aware during their wolf state so they could attack the right targets more efficiently! They were planning to kill, or at least infect, people. My “nasty trick” as Greyback put it, saved countless lives.”

“At what cost, Ellie?”

“This is war,” Said Ellie quietly, “people are going to die before this is over. And the other side should have casualties too.”

“Don’t say that,” Said Snape dangerously. “Don’t you ever say that.”

“What are you planning to do to the Dark Lord, then? Ask him nicely to stop? No, if you get the chance, you’d kill him. And can you honestly say Greyback doesn’t deserve the same?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think.”

“Whose choice is it then? Some ministry judge? Yeah, they’ll find him guilty, and they’ll put him in Azkaban - oh wait! We don’t have a functional jail anymore, because the Dementors have deserted.”

What a strange morality Ellie had. She managed to torture herself for years over the accidental deaths of her young peers that she had caused. And yet, these intentional, for want of better word, murders, did not affect her at all, because she had already judged them guilty.

He didn’t want to disagree with Ellie. In truth, they were all better off with Greyback losing a few members of his pack. Not to mention the fact that Ellie’s embarrassing Greyback lowered his standing in Voldemort’s eyes.

But when the Dark Lord had complimented Snape on recruiting such a ruthless student, one who understood the place of half humans in the world, he was sick to his stomach.

It wasn’t fair, he knew. He’d done plenty to earn the Dark Lord’s praise. But he didn’t want Voldemort to think highly of Ellie. That was no compliment.

“I don’t regret it,” Said Ellie, “I only regret not doing it sooner.”

“It’s a dark path you’re walking, Ellie.”

“I’ve been avoiding this path all my life, for all the good it did me. I did everything you asked, and this world still came for me. Maybe it was inevitable. But I’m ready to take control of it now. I won’t be dragged down this dark path kicking and screaming. I’m going to march down it proudly. And maybe along the way, I’ll shed some light on it so that those of us who walk here can better see the way. Maybe I did kill those fools. Maybe I’ll do it again. Maybe that’s the role I have to play in this war. Dumbledore is the Leader. Harry is the Hero. You are the Spy. And I am the Assasin.”

“You don’t have to take that role upon yourself,” Said Snape. “You don’t have to dirty your hands just to feel that you have done something useful.”

“Why not? You do.”

“That’s different. It’s a part I play. It’s not who I am.”

“I don’t know who I am anymore,” Said Ellie with a crack in her voice. “Am I a wandmaker who betrayed her master? Am I a failed researcher? Am I a Dark Wizard now, as Professor Kamat was so convinced I would be? Because if you look at my life objectively for a moment, that’s sure how it seems.”

“If by objectively you mean without any context, then yes that is how it would appear. The same could be said of me. In fact, it frequently is. But I’m not. I’m not, and neither are you.”

“You were when you were my age.”

“You aren’t half the fool I was at your age. You are better than I was. You already know what it took me years to learn. You know that The Dark Lord needs to be stopped, and despite everything I’ve tried to tell you, you know that you can’t stand idly by and wait for someone else to do it for you.”

“But I don’t know what to do now.”

“I know it doesn’t feel like it after today, but you are already doing it. Laying groundwork for future heroics.”

Ellie wrinkled her nose and said, “I’ll never be a hero. Not like Dumbledore, not like Harry.”

“You get that from my side of the family, I suppose.”

“Was Lily a hero?”

“Yes,” said Snape sadly, “she was. She died to save Harry.”

“If she’d killed to save Harry, we wouldn’t be in this mess right now,” Ellie replied bitterly.

Ellie was always torn between admiration for the young hero she’d never known and resentment for the mother who’d abandoned her.

“We’ll never have statues in our hometown dedicated to our achievements,” said Snape gently, “it’s possible that even after our deaths, we will be remembered as nothing more than Death Eaters. I certainly expect no recognition in my lifetime. But that won’t stop us from doing the work that needs doing.”

“But I haven’t done anything good or helpful ever, except out of my own self interest.”

“You will,” said Snape, “I meant it when I said you could join the Order. Dumbledore already approved. I’ll be taking you with me to the next meeting.”

“Oh wow,” said Ellie in disbelief. “So it’s really come to that.”

“It may be that your position here in Knockturn alley will be an advantage to us. Or you may yet be able to exploit your favored position with Umbridge. There is much you could do, and most of it is not the work of an assassin, I assure you. Though your ability to resist the lures of the Dark Arts will still be tested.”

“So this is it then,” Ellie said with a determined grimace, “no more running around with my friends and getting into teen drama. No more silly little experiments that entirely miss the big picture. Just danger and darkness from here on out.”

“I think you’ll find that your life still has room for friends, drama, and little experiments, even with all the danger and darkness.”

“I’m just glad that my life has room for you. Being a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and occasional tool of the Dark Lord, I’m bound to see you all the time!”

“Life must have it’s little perks,” said Snape with tiniest twitch of a smirk. “Now I think it’s high time you got some rest. Tomorrow, a whole new world opens for you.”

“A whole new world…” echoed Ellie thoughtfully. “And we’re going to save it.”

**Author's Note:**

> I live for comments, folks. I love and appreciate all feedback!!
> 
> Thank you all for reading this whole story! It means a lot that you cared enough about my little characters to make it this far.
> 
> So ends part 3.
> 
> I can’t say when there will be a part 4. I certainly have the ideas in my head, but I don’t have the time right now to write it. Keep this bookmarked though and you’ll get an update whenever I get around to the next part!
> 
> Ellie still has the war ahead of her...


End file.
